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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/26348644">Come and Find Me When the Weather is Fine</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Imanga/pseuds/Imanga'>Imanga</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Naruto</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Alternate Universe, F/M, Feelings Realization, Flirting, Office Romance, Second Chances, Slow Build, Two pov</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-09-07</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-02-19</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-06 04:27:20</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>5</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>75,161</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/26348644</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Imanga/pseuds/Imanga</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Years after moving abroad, Hinata crossing paths with Naruto at a wedding kickstarts an unexpected chain of events that will bring them together again at work -for better and for worse.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Hyuuga Hinata/Uzumaki Naruto</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>55</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>71</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. It all starts with a wedding...</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Hi everyone!</p><p>This is my first fanfiction so I would like to apologize beforehand if the writing isn't perfect - especially since English isn't my first language- so please, don't hesitate if you want to give me some advice or correct a big mistake in the comments. </p><p>I made the error of writing this chapter in my mother tongue first and then, translate it, what a mistake...</p><p> </p><p>Anyway, enjoy the plot ^_^</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>  <i>[08/01/21: Minor editing to correct typos and fix the formatting]</i></p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“Hina, time to wake up…”<br/>
 <br/>
Hinata frowned in her sleep and emitted a slight growl of disapprobation -too late. She could already feel herself waking up and, no matter how much she wanted to fall back asleep, she now couldn’t help but notice the din of the crowd and the sounds of the airplane around her, as if someone had suddenly turned on the radio with the volume on maximum.<br/>
Hanabi shook her shoulder once more and told her to wake up again, though more aggressively this time.<br/>
 <br/>
“Hinata, the plane has landed, come on!”<br/>
 <br/>
This time, Hinata opened her eyes. She blinked, taking a few seconds to get used to the light in the cockpit, and noted how everyone around them was grabbing their personal effects and suitcases, ready to exit the plane. They couldn’t deboard yet however, judging by how the people already in the corridor seemed static and anxious to move.<br/>
Hinata closed her eyes again, yawned, and stretched her arms as best as she could before straightening up. In the seat next to her, a bored Hanabi was already texting on her phone, unfazed by the traffic jam next to them.<br/>
 <br/>
She yawned again.<br/>
 <br/>
She may have slept the entire flight between Iwa and Konoha, she was still in a daze and could feel how hard her brain was trying to turn on. She glanced out of the window and the sight of the airport apron, reflecting the morning sun, hurt her eyes a little.<br/>
 <br/>
The hint of a smile enlightened her sleepy face. It was the perfect day for a wedding.<br/>
 <br/>
Hanabi suddenly touched her forearm before getting up incredibly fast, as if she was spring-loaded.<br/>
 <br/>
“Here we go!” She said, a big smile on her face, before grabbing her purse. “Come on, get moving, let’s gooo!”<br/>
 <br/>
Hanabi was incredibly excited by the prospect of a vacation in Konoha, and Hinata could not blame her; she was barely a teen when their family had left the place for Iwa and, apart from a couple of weekends over the years with her father and sister, she never truly had a chance to experience the feel of the city by herself.<br/>
 <br/>
Hinata, on the other hand, had seen too much of it.<br/>
 <br/>
The sisters got up and grabbed their suitcases from the luggage compartment before getting in line -but not before Hanabi had yelled “No cutsies!” to a grandma that would not let them access the corridor.<br/>
 <br/>
Once out of the plane, it didn’t take long for the two of them to find and reach the Thunder Train station that connected the Konoha airport to the actual city, something that did not exist back in the day, when the Hyūga used to live there. <br/>
 <br/>
“I cannot wait to see Konoha!” Proclaimed louder than needed Hanabi. “There’s so much I wanna do…” Her smile and energy made Hinata giggle. “Last time, Father barely let us out of the hotel, so I have to make the most of it this week.”<br/>
 <br/>
“You know him”, said Hinata in an effort to defend him, “This city left a bad taste in his mouth. He always feels like something bad is going to happen to us when we’re here.”<br/>
 <br/>
Hanabi gave her a slide glance, her lips turning into a pout. Out of the two, Hinata may not have had the best relationship with their father, but she understood better than Hanabi the ghosts that were haunting Hiashi Hyūga, why he always had made sure to keep the greatest distance between Konoha and his family.<br/>
 <br/>
After all, over the course of less than 15 years, he had lost his wife, and then his twin brother and sister-in-law. Finally, after the death of his nephew, killed in a hit-and-run accident when Hinata was still in high school, he had decided that Konoha was bad luck for the Hyūgas and relocated with his two daughters to Iwagakure, two countries away.<br/>
 <br/>
Hinata had mixed feelings about Konoha too, happy and sad memories intertwining in her head and heart each time someone or something would bring the city up. However, she could not let nostalgia get to her, not when their current trip was supposed to be nothing but happiness and celebration. Hanabi was there to enjoy her spring break and Hinata, for the wedding of an old high school friend of hers. <br/>
 <br/>
Despite leaving Konoha when she was 17 years old and her shy personality, Hinata had managed to keep in touch with her former group of friends over the years and the distance. In the past, she had been able to come back a couple of times to attend birthday parties or to meet up with the group in some random town for a weekend getaway, which had allowed her to still be considered a member of their little high school circle by the others and hence, secure her invitation at today’s Ino’s and Sai’s wedding.<br/>
 <br/>
Ino Yamanaka had been a longtime friend of hers: even if they had never been in the same class in middle school or high school, they hung out with the same people and soon became a part of each other’s life. Though they weren’t best friends like Ino and Sakura -nor as close as Hinata and Sakura, for that matter-, the two girls had shared countless laughter, gossips and memories together and, after Hinata’s departure, it was at the Hyūga’s mansion in Iwa -not at her grandparents’, not at Sakura’s, no even at Sai’s-, that Ino had chosen to spend her last summer of high school, after the death of her father. <br/>
 <br/>
Hinata remembered finding it odd at first. However, being motherless herself and having suffered the loss of a cousin she considered like a brother to her a year prior, Ino had certainly thought that Hinata would be the only one to understand her pain. <br/>
 <br/>
For the first time in her life, her difficulty to make small talks had actually been an advantage, for Ino needed space to mourn and think. <br/>
 <br/>
Hinata could remember their long walks in the canyons surrounding Iwa, hours, days spent without a word, or those times at night when they would get on one futon and hold each other while crying themselves to sleep.<br/>
 <br/>
The Thunder Train entered the station with a loud mechanical screeching, abruptly pulling Hinata out of her reverie. Next to her, Hanabi was already putting her phone back in her pocket and grabbing the handle of her suitcase, ready to get on it. Hinata quickly grabbed her own bag and the two girls hurried inside the first coach they saw, looking for two seats next to one another. <br/>
 <br/>
“At what time do you think we’ll get to our hotel?” Asked Hanabi once they had settled.<br/>
 <br/>
Hinata checked her watch. Even though the sun was already high in the sky, it wasn’t 9 a.m. yet. <br/>
 <br/>
“If I remember properly, the ride to Central Station takes around 45 minutes…” Hinata stopped, making some quick calculations. Man, was she bad at math. “I guess we should be there around 10:45 a.m.?”<br/>
 <br/>
“Ok, knowing you, let’s make it 11 a.m.”, sneered Hanabi.<br/>
 <br/>
Hinata tried giving her her best death stare but Hanabi, back on her phone again, didn’t seem to notice. Disappointed, she decided to take hers out of her bag as well and to give a call to her dad. Knowing him, he probably hadn’t slept at all last night: their flight taking off at 3 a.m., he had confined himself to see them off at the door of Hyūga mansion, entrusting Kō, Hanabi’s and Hinata’s bodyguard, with driving them to the airport.</p><p>Their exchange was brief, as to be expected with Hiashi Hyūga: he coldly thanked her for keeping him updated but assured her that this kind of call wasn’t necessary at all, as he was extremely busy with work. Hinata did what she knew best -apologize- before wishing him a nice day and hanging up. <br/>
 <br/>
Three years ago, such a conversation would have left her in tears and feeling emotionally shattered, but that time was over and Hinata knew better. <br/>
 <br/>
<em>I’m not a child anymore</em>, she thought to herself while remembering how far their relationship had come.<br/>
 <br/>
Her phone buzzed for a couple of seconds, and she noticed that she had several messages waiting for her to be read: Tamaki, Sakura and some other girls Hinata was less familiar with were suggesting meeting up at the wedding hall early for a little “girl time” before the ceremony, but she discarded it: her morning was already packed enough as it was and she didn’t believe that she could manage to make it there before the initially scheduled time.<br/>
 <br/>
Another text, from Tenten this time, was asking her if their flight had arrived on time, as well as if she thought they would be ready to meet-up in front of their hotel at 11h15, and if she needed anything special to get ready later on. Confident enough in her time prediction, she answered "yes" to the first two questions and reassured her that she had everything she needed already.<br/>
 <br/>
Her text sent, she took out of her bag a pair of earphones and zoned out till the sisters reached their destination, lost in her music.</p><p> </p><p>Hanabi was sporting a triumphant grin as the two young women entered the familiar and lavishly adorned lobby of the Leaf Resort and Spa where their father had a permanent suite: it was 11:02 a.m.<br/>
 <br/>
“I never had a good sense of time”, recognized Hinata, a big frown darkening her sweet face.<br/>
 <br/>
She would have never thought that it would take them so long to get to the Resort from the station on foot. Usually, the Hyūgas were getting to Konoha by private jet, where a chauffeured car would be waiting for them on the apron, ready to drive them home as fast as possible. However, since this was a trip they had decided upon by themselves, their father had refused to pay a single penny for them -well, except for that gigantic penthouse suite at the top of the most decadent and high-profile hotel in town.<br/>
 <br/>
Not every parent let go of their children the same.<br/>
 <br/>
Their check-in didn’t take long: the hotel staff knew them -or, <em>of</em> them- and, after bowing down at the sisters, a receptionist and a groom took care of their luggage and walked them to the private elevator that led directly to the Hyūga suite on the last floor.<br/>
 <br/>
“No need to follow us”, Hanabi told them. The staff members nodded and the groom dropped cautiously their luggage inside the cabin, before exiting the elevator and seeing them off.<br/>
 <br/>
It was far from their first time here, however, Hinata and Hanabi always felt like they needed a few minutes each time to get familiar with the place again. After all, that suite wasn’t a simple hotel room: it had its own hallway, two living rooms, a dining room, a kitchen, a master bedroom with a dressing and a bathroom, two smaller bedrooms with their private shower room, a gym, a home cinema and a terrace. Hinata was personally convinced that renting this place for a single minute cost more than her yearly salary, and she tried to imagine how much money their father had paid the Lead Resort and Spa all those years to keep this place his, before quickly giving up.<br/>
 <br/>
As they were getting out of the elevator, their dedicated staff lined-up to welcome them and Hinata and Hanabi introduced themselves to each of them one after the other, asking for their name and profession, before thanking them for being at their service, just like they had been taught to do. There were two security guards, a private chef, two maids and a housekeeper, ready to cater to their every need 24/7. That thought made Hinata embarrassed, and she blushed a little. She had never managed to get used to it. <em>Rich people problems, I suppose.</em><br/>
 <br/>
Her phone started ringing all of the sudden, and she checked the time. 11h16.<br/>
 <br/>
“Hanabi,” she remembered all of the sudden, “Tenten!” <br/>
 <br/>
The girls quickly rushed to their rooms, the security guards impassively following them with their bags.<br/>
 <br/>
Five minutes and a Spartan wash later, the two sisters met in the hallway of their suite, ready to join poor Tenten that had been waiting for them downstairs the whole time. The housekeeper, seeing that they were ready to leave, appeared with three large bouquets of white lilies.<br/>
 <br/>
“Just like Miss Hyūga and Miss Hanabi had asked for”, she said politely, while handing them the flowers respectfully.<br/>
 <br/>
Hinata thanked her and the two girls finally got in the elevator.</p><p> </p><p>Shorter than Hanabi but taller than Hinata, Tenten Ishikawa was not a bad-looking woman. Brunette, she was sporting two tight buns on each side of her head that morning, and her face was, per usual, enlightened by big, pure smiles. Of course, she was fit, her body shaped by over two decades of intense physical activity: as a professional tennis table player, she had won numerous international competitions and had been the leading female player for a couple of years now. It went without saying that, within their little high school circle, she had gone on being the most famous as an adult.<br/>
 <br/>
“Ah, here you are!” She said, welcoming them out of the lift with a big beam. “I almost waited!”<br/>
 <br/>
She was wearing a really simple black dress that clashed with her regular, more sporty looks, that Hinata was used to.<br/>
 <br/>
“Tenten!” Hanabi screamed, literally throwing the bouquet she was holding at Hinata’s face and running into their friend’s arms. Tenten had a loving giggle and, without their embrace, offered her cheek for Hinata to kiss it.<br/>
 <br/>
“Let’s get moving”, she finally told them, letting go of Hanabi. “My manager’s waiting for us in his car and he’s double-parked.”<br/>
 <br/>
One hand on Hinata’s back, the other one firmly grabbing Hanabi’s arm, she made the little group walk through the hotel lobby in no time and once outside, directed them towards a black minivan, whose driver seemed to be in a heated debate with a hotel personnel.<br/>
 <br/>
“Sir, you really cannot stay there, you’re blocking the way…”<br/>
 <br/>
“But I keep telling you that I just need five more minutes! I’m only waiting for my young protégés and… Ah, speaking of the devil, here they are! Tenten! Hinata! Hop in, hop in, hurry up!”<br/>
 <br/>
Hinata bowed politely at the driver and then at the young staff member, her face hitting the flowers she was holding each time.<br/>
 <br/>
“How are you doing, Mr. Might?” She asked with a timid smile.<br/>
 <br/>
The hotel staff wilted, pale as an aspirin.<br/>
 <br/>
“My apologies, Miss Hyūga! I did not know that this man was waiting for Miss Hanabi and you!” He shouted, loud, standing to attention.<br/>
 <br/>
“Oh no, it’s nothing-” Whispered Hinata with an embarrassed smile while bowing to him again, Tenten grabbing her by the arm to take her inside the car.<br/>
 <br/>
“Chauffeur, put the pedal to the metal! We’re running late!” She yelled at Guy Might while buckling up. Hinata delicately dropped her bouquets on the free seat between her and Tenten and let out a little scream of surprise when the car took off at full pelt.<br/>
 <br/>
“Mister Guy!” Shrieked Hanabi, who was sitting in the front next to him, “Be careful! You don’t want to damage the Hyūga’s two most precious jewels!”<br/>
 <br/>
Guy laughed as he maneuvered the car through the crowded streets of Konoha. Hinata cast a glance at her window, letting herself sink in the feeling of familiarity that was overwhelming. It was a really nice spring morning and she could see all sorts of families outside enjoying a warm Saturday walk. Hinata smiled.<br/>
 <br/>
“So, Hinata, how’s the prep for the big competition going?” <br/>
 <br/>
Guy’s voice broke her out of her reverie and she straightened herself, their eyes meeting in the rear-view mirror.<br/>
 <br/>
“Good, I believe…” Stammered Hinata with a shy smile. Tenten stretched out to the front of the car, a big frown on her face, slapping his shoulder.<br/>
 <br/>
“Guy! We - agreed - we - wouldn’t - bring - this - subject - up!” She mumbled between her teeth, admonishing him. <br/>
 <br/>
Hinata sighed and lay back in her seat, Tenten still hitting Guy. She closed her eyes, her relaxing body feeling all of the sudden overwhelmed by sleep. How could those two have so much energy?<br/>
 <br/>
“And what about you, Tenten? How are you feeling about that Suna tournament next week?” She heard Hanabi ask, her voice barely reaching out through the fog that clouded her mind.<br/>
 <br/>
“Oh, you know me, same, same eh… I’m going to…”</p><p> </p><p>She woke up at the sound of the unbuckling belts, and blinked, realizing they had reached their destination.<br/>
 <br/>
“Okay so, here’s the plan” claimed Tenten as she got ready to exit the car. “I suggested we all start with Neji like that after, Guy and I can leave you two together. Is that good?”<br/>
 <br/>
Hanabi and Guy hummed their agreement. <br/>
 <br/>
“Are you sure?” Hinata asked with a sleepy voice. “We would not like to keep you waiting.”<br/>
 <br/>
“Not at all, Guy and I will wait for you girls in the car and discuss some details about the Wind Open like that.”<br/>
 <br/>
Hinata nodded, and all got out of the car.<br/>
 <br/>
The Hyūga mansion was an impressive old compound of traditional design, surrounded by a tall and menacing wall that protected its inhabitants from any unwelcoming glare.<br/>
Even though no Hyūga lived there anymore, the house was still being taken care of by a housekeeper, a maid and a gardener. Anyone unfamiliar with the family’s history would have found it incongruous that Hiashi Hyūga -as well as his daughters- wasn’t staying at his family house when in town, but not Hinata and Hanabi.<br/>
 <br/>
Whether it was the bedroom he used to sleep in, the chair he always sat on to eat his dinner, his corner in the garden, dedicated to his archery practice, or the chair in the main greenhouse where he used to curl up with a book, everything on the compound reminded them of Neji, of a time when he was still alive, a time they formed a family. A happier time.<br/>
 <br/>
Hinata could already feel a lump in her throat and she instinctively got closer to Hanabi, who warily grabbed her arm full of flowers. Hinata gave her a side glance and for a second, scrutinized her solemn air. This gravitas looked so foreign on Hanabi’s oh so sweet face, like she was wearing a mask, making Hinata’s heart squeeze even more.<br/>
 <br/>
Tenten rang the doorbell and, after a couple of minutes, Natsu, the Mansion’s housekeeper, opened them.<br/>
 <br/>
“Miss Hyūga, Miss Hanabi”, she said politely while bowing at the sisters, “Welcome home.”<br/>
 <br/>
Hinata and Hanabi nodded back to her and Natsu grabbed the bouquets while they were getting in the beautiful Japanese garden that had hosted so many childhood games and laughter, followed by Tenten and Guy.<br/>
 <br/>
Even if she kept the same respectful tone and language with the former, Natsu seemed way more relaxed around Tenten and Guy, asking them how they had been and making inquiries about the upcoming competition. Hinata’s heart broke a little bit more.<br/>
 <br/>
She knew Tenten came to visit Neji often. Really often. She had even once confessed to Hinata that when she was training in Konoha, it wasn’t unusual for her to drop by every day. Hinata knew she should be thankful for such a love, such a devotion -and she was-, but the painful reminder that Tenten was there for Neji and she wasn’t hurt.<br/>
 <br/>
Natsu led them through the garden, taking a stony path running alongside the right side of the main building and heading towards a little greenhouse surrounded by trees.<br/>
 <br/>
Unlike the other Hyūgas, who were resting in the family vault located in the Hashirama cemetery up north, Hizashi Hyūga, his wife Akiko and their son Neji, as well as his sister-in-law Yua, had been placed in a greenhouse specially built for Yua Hyūga, the late wife of Hiashi and the two girls’ mother.<br/>
 <br/>
As a child, Hinata remembered asking their father why her mother was resting in the garden and not with the rest of the family. He had simply explained that he would rather keep her close to him, so he could visit her every day. A couple of years later, her aunt and uncle joined her. Then, it had been Neji’s turn.<br/>
 <br/>
Hinata’s cheeks were already soaking wet when they entered the greenhouse. Hanabi gave her a side hug and led her to Neji’s shrine. On a little stone table, a funeral urn with a framed picture of Neji against it had been arranged, surrounded by many offerings gifted by his family and friends over the years. Pressed flowers from Hinata. A child’s drawing representing Neji by Hanabi. An arrow that came from one of his archery teammates, if she remembered right. His poetry notebook, that at the time, Hinata had given to Tenten. And medals. Lots of them.<br/>
 <br/>
After they had all paid tribute to Neji, Tenten took the lead and got closer to the shrine, kneeling in front of the picture.<br/>
 <br/>
“Hi Neji, how are you doing today? It’s quite a few of us today, I hope you don’t mind.”<br/>
 <br/>
She turned her head around and looked at Guy who got out of his bag a long, flat black box that he respectfully handed to Tenten. She opened it, revealing a silver medal inside.<br/>
 <br/>
“I’m sorry", she apologized, her voice choked by emotion. “I know I had promised you the gold but Mima is really becoming too strong for me…”<br/>
 <br/>
She wiped her tears with the back of her hand and slowly, carefully, dropped the medal with all the other ones. In Hanabi’s arms, Hinata was silently, uncontrollably sobbing.<br/>
 <br/>
Even though Tenten had told her nothing had ever happened between Neji and her, Hinata knew how they felt about one another. Despite the fact that she had dropped out of school to focus on her professional table tennis career, Neji and she had never stopped seeing each other. He used to cross the entire city to go see her play and from time to time, even followed her to another place to support her during national tournaments. As for Tenten, she came to his archery practice as often as her busy schedule would allow her to and, on hot and steamy summer days, it’s wasn’t unusual to see the both of them sitting in the garden, enjoying the coolness of the night, watching the stars together, wrapped in an intimate silence.<br/>
 <br/>
Although she had never been that close to Tenten when Neji was alive, at least his death had gifted Hanabi and her with a new sister. Someone to cry for him as least as much as her. Someone that knew her pain, understood it, helped her carry it, without needing Hinata to say a word.<br/>
 <br/>
Hinata was crying but, deep inside, the sight of Tenten silently sobbing, of the medals piling up, years after years, of the faded flowers in the vase at the foot of the table that gave away her recent last visit -six days ago, maybe?-, was filling her heart with odd happiness. To know someone else, even ten years later, someone that wasn’t Hinata nor Hanabi, treasured his memory so much, filled her heart with an indescribable relief.<br/>
 <br/>
Tenten got up and faced the three others, her eyes red and a sad smile on her lips.<br/>
 <br/>
“I always read one of his poems when I come”, she explained. “Does someone want to read, or have a special request?”<br/>
 <br/>
Hinata and Guy slowly shook their heads, and Hanabi sniffly asked for the one about the bird in a cage. It also was one of Hinata’s favorites.<br/>
 <br/>
Grabbing the tired notebook that was laying on the shrine, Tenten quickly turned its yellow pages for the poem and started reading it out loud in a shaky voice. Hinata pulled Hanabi as close to her as she could while listening to Neji’s words fill the greenhouse, in what felt like an eternity. Time was standing still just for them.</p><p> </p><p>Once done, Tenten paused to catch her breath and closed the notebook that she put back on the shrine. She retook her place back behind the two Hyūgas, next to Guy, and Hinata looked at Natsu, nodding her head slowly at her. She gave Hinata one of the bouquets, before clearing the vase of the dried flowers.<br/>
 <br/>
“Brother Neji”, Hinata whispered, “These flowers are for you.”<br/>
 <br/>
She kneeled to put the flowers in the vase and arrange them as best as she could through her tears, before getting back up. They all bowed down one last time at him, and Tenten and Guy respectfully exited the greenhouse.<br/>
 <br/>
Hinata and Hanabi then moved to the shrines of their aunt and uncle, bowing at them and changing their bouquet, just like what they had done for Neji. Then, came their mother’s turn.<br/>
 <br/>
If Hinata had ignored the fact that their father came here each time he was in Konoha, she could not not know it after looking at Yua Hyūga’ shrine. On their father’s orders, her flowers were changed every day by Natsu or the gardener. A fresh plate of her favorite Shingen momo sat on one side of her urn, and on the other one, on a wooden tray, could be found various objects Hinata had always seen there. A necklace their father had gifted their mother after their wedding. An incredibly detailed and delicate sculpted ivory comb that Hinata could vaguely remember her mother using to detangle her hair after a bath. Some report cards, worn out by the sun. A small origami crane. The latest book their father was reading to their mother each time he dropped by. <br/>
 <br/>
Hinata noticed that the bookmark was nearing the end. Soon enough, their father would start a new one.<br/>
 <br/>
Next to the shrine stood an armchair with a pillow and a plaid. The armchair their father always sat in to read.<br/>
 <br/>
Hiashi Hyūga had always been cold, a fortress of closed doors and stern expressions. It had taken Hinata years of tears, anxieties and misunderstandings to finally apprehend the fact that their father simply did not love the way she loved. The way she needed him to love.<br/>
 <br/>
He never spoke of their mother, never mentioned her, getting upset if by mistake, Hinata or Hanabi alluded to her memory and, for the longest time, Hinata had taken his silence, his apparent indifference, for a lack of affection toward his late wife.<br/>
 <br/>
Over the years, she realized it was a mask.<br/>
 <br/>
The two sisters bowed to their mother, showing her the white lilies they had brought her. Neither Hinata nor Hanabi were crying. They were both displaying a sad smile, and the mood around this shrine was incredibly different from the one at Neji’s. Here, instead of a sharp pain in their chest, they felt a bittersweet calmness, filling them with a melancholic serenity. They had parted ways so long ago already.<br/>
 <br/>
Hinata finished arranging the flower before facing Hanabi.<br/>
 <br/>
“Hana?” She asked with a quiet and hoarse voice.<br/>
 <br/>
Hanabi slowly raised her eyes towards her, her young face silent and stern, her clear eyes looking like two dying lights.<br/>
 <br/>
“I’m going to meet with the others”, she kept going. “Take all the time you need to speak with mama, ok?”<br/>
 <br/>
Hanabi slowly shook her head, her eyes focused on the shrine.<br/>
 <br/>
Hinata put what she hoped was a soothing hand on her sister’s shoulder and headed for the door, Natsu following her. As she was exiting the greenhouse, she could hear a “Hi Mama, it’s me…” before the door closed behind her.<br/>
 <br/>
Unlike Tenten or Hanabi, Hinata couldn’t talk to Neji or their mother. That was the main reason why she never came here alone, but it mattered to her that Hanabi -who was still a toddler when their mother passed away- could feel free to do so.<br/>
 <br/>
She looked around, failing to see or hear Tenten and Guy. They were probably already back in the car.<br/>
 <br/>
Hinata took her phone out to check the time: it was 1:22 p.m.<br/>
 <br/>
She frowned.<br/>
 <br/>
Obviously, she would never rush Hanabi but the clock was ticking and Tenten and she still needed to head back to the hotel to get ready for the wedding. She sighed and put her telephone in her purse. Fortunately, none of the two girls were that big on make-up or general appearance, so even with a short timing, they should be able to get by.<br/>
 <br/>
She turned around, facing Natsu who was waiting next to the greenhouse door for Hanabi to come out, and she shyly smiled at her. Natsu smiled right back at her, a nervous smile that made Hinata embarrassed.<br/>
 <br/>
“Thank you so much for taking such great care of our house and our family when we’re away”, said Hinata, bowing.<br/>
 <br/>
Natsu blushed like crazy and bowed back, stammering a faint “It’s my pleasure” that made Hinata chuckle.</p><p> </p><p>It was almost 1:22 p.m. when Hinata and Hanabi got back inside the car, the both of them sitting at the back this time. The conversation focused heavily on Tenten’s upcoming tournament in Suna the upcoming week, which Hinata was grateful for. This way, she didn’t have to talk too much and could get a little rest.<br/>
 <br/>
She felt exhausted and a migraine was menacing her. She rested her forehead against the cold window of the car, and again fell asleep, not realizing they had reached their destination until Hanabi shook her while joking with Guy, who let out a loud belly laugh.<br/>
 <br/>
“Come on, girls! Time for you to enjoy the springtime of youth!” He told them, a big smile on his face, his thumb up. Hinata and Hanabi thanked him profusely for nicely driving them around, and exited the van while he was reminding Tenten that he would come and pick her from the wedding later that night.<br/>
 <br/>
Once alone, the girls rushed back inside, Hinata and Tenten having to get ready for the wedding, and Hanabi for her meet-up with Moegi.<br/>
 <br/>
When Hanabi had announced their father she wanted to spend her spring break in Konoha, his initial reaction had been “no”. However, Hanabi’s negotiation skills were no match for someone even as experienced as Hiashi Hyūga, and he ended up surrendering to his daughter’s fiery will, on the condition that she had someone to stay with her. <br/>
 <br/>
Hinata had then asked Sakura and Ino if they knew of any young girl around Hanabi’s age that would be willing to spend an all-expense-paid week of tourism with her sister. It didn’t take them long to come up with this Moegi Kazamatsuri, who was a friend of the youngest brother of the uncle of the step-mother of someone they knew, or something like that. Because Hinata was staying in Konoha for the weekend, before flying back to Iwa on the Sunday afternoon, Hanabi and Moegi had agreed on meeting outside with some friends of hers on the Saturday, and that she would move in on the Sunday, after Hinata’s departure. Hanabi was on a cloud.<br/>
 <br/>
Unwilling to use her father’s bathroom even if he wasn’t there, Tenten and Hinata quickly showered one after the other in hers and tried their best to make each other look better and more feminine than usual, but gave up pretty fast. Neither of them was that skilled when it came to make-up or hairdo, and they agreed on limiting their efforts to a simple line of eyeliner -that took them ages -, a little mascara and some lipstick. Hinata then set her bangs as nicely as she could while Tenten was gathering her hair in a loose low bun for her. She then put on her mauve dress while admiring how fast Tenten was braiding her brown hair into a crown that Hinata wouldn’t have been able to replicate in a thousand years.<br/>
 <br/>
It was past 3 p.m. when the two girls got out of Hinata’s bedroom, ready to go. Hinata was wearing a backless pouf dress with a Sabrina neckline, while Tenten had settled for a more traditional yellow cheongsam with red flowers that were incredibly fitted and body-hugging. When she walked past Hinata to get her purse, Hinata noticed the side slit that reached up to her thigh and she blushed at the sight of such a provocative outfit. To think she had battled Hanabi till the very end about her own dress because she found the backless too revealing…<br/>
 <br/>
“Hanabi!” Hailed Hinata, grabbing her own purse in one hand and her wedding gift in another, “We’re leaving!”<br/>
 <br/>
A faint growl answered her and she giggled.<br/>
 <br/>
“Shall we go?” She asked Tenten, who nodded with a smile, carrying her own wedding gift under her arm.<br/>
 <br/>
The taxi they had ordered was already waiting for them in front of the hotel and they hopped in quickly, happily chatting about their first wedding, so excited they could barely stand still.</p><p> </p><p>It was getting close to 4 p.m. when they finally reached the Hokages Palace, the forecourt already filled to the brim with wedding guests. The stern administrative building that hosted the Department of Defense of the Fire Country also served as an administrative relay and, unlike other cities, it was incumbent upon the Hokage to celebrate civil weddings. Hinata gazed upon the huge building she hadn’t seen this close since her teenage years, until Tenten grabbed her by the arm to lead them through the crowd.<br/>
 <br/>
“Tenten! Hinata!” Suddenly shot at them Lee, an old friend of Tenten and Neji that had befriended their social circle after Hinata’s departure for Earth Country. Hinata politely greeted him and, after he had planted a loud kiss on both her cheeks, he totally neglected her for Tenten. That was a relief for Hinata, who couldn’t handle someone as touchy-feely and loud as Lee.<br/>
 <br/>
Worried that she might have to endure even more unrequited affectionate gestures from a semi-stranger, Hinata cowardly blended in the crowd and let herself get carried away, winding between groups of people, on the lookout for a familiar face. <br/>
 <br/>
It found her first.<br/>
 <br/>
An arm slowly wrapped itself around her, pulling her closely against the chest of the mysterious presence. She felt a head making its way to her ear, expecting a whisper. <br/>
 <br/>
“SO WHAT HINATA, YOU DON’T GREET YOUR FRIENDS ANYMORE?”<br/>
 <br/>
Half deaf from the sudden barking so close to her right ear, she leaned her head back against the shoulder of the man, a gigantic, pure smile of happiness enlightening her face. If the barking wasn’t enough for her to recognize him, his characteristic earthy scent, like a mix of sandalwood, patchouli and rosewood that she had known him to have ever since they were teens and that she loved, would have given him away. She pressed the arm wrapped around her waist and closed her eyes, letting a sigh of satisfaction out of her lips.<br/>
 <br/>
“Hello, Kiba!” She said, her voice almost singing. She could feel his grin even with her eyes closed and he rubbed his hairy cheek against her.<br/>
 <br/>
“I’m feeling jealous. Why, you ask? Because you two are hugging and I’m lonely.”<br/>
 <br/>
Hinata raised her head back and opened her eyes before squealing with joy.<br/>
 <br/>
“Shino!”<br/>
 <br/>
The hand that was resting on Kiba’s arm reached toward that second apparition and it only took her half a second to end up sandwiched between the two men.<br/>
 <br/>
Her head resting on Shino’s chest, his own chin against her forehead and Kiba’s face buried in her shoulder blades, Hinata could not hide her contentment.<br/>
 <br/>
“Give me all the love!” She proclaimed with a gleeful voice, her innocent smile only getting bigger and bigger.<br/>
 <br/>
The two boys hugged her even more in between their arms and her laugh resonated in the air, crystal pure.<br/>
 <br/>
She couldn’t feel happier than she already did, reunited with her two soulmates… It couldn’t be...<br/>
 <br/>
“Me too, me too! I want a hug too!” Said an excited feminine voice somewhere nearby. Hinata opened her eyes and the three of them looked at Takami -Kiba’s longtime girlfriend- fight the crowd to join them, her arms already reaching forward.<br/>
 <br/>
Kiba gave her a death glare and frown before swinging Hinata and Shino away from her embrace.<br/>
 <br/>
“Nooo” he said with a grumpy voice, “My husband and wife are there and I want them all to myself.”<br/>
 <br/>
Hinata laughed even louder than before and this time, even the so stoic Shino cracked a smile in front of Kiba’s and Tamaki’s fake domestic dispute. Tamaki had reached their spot now and was hugging them all while winning at Kiba that was still pretending to be pushing her away.<br/>
 <br/>
They finally broke their embrace and Shino gave Hinata a proper look, his face as sweet and calm as always.<br/>
 <br/>
“It’s nice to hear your laugh again”, he simply said.<br/>
 <br/>
Hinata blushed and gave him a timid smile but, unalike from a time not so long ago, where she would have stammered and turned her glance away, embarrassed, she held his gaze, hidden behind the giant sunglasses that ate his face.<br/>
 <br/>
“Yours too, Shino”, she answered shyly.<br/>
 <br/>
Kiba and Tamaki got closer and Tamaki offered Hinata her lips, signaling her she wanted to greet her with a kiss. Hinata gave her her cheek and closed her eyes again, indulging in Tamaki’s warm embrace and kisses.<br/>
 <br/>
She felt so good. <br/>
 <br/>
She felt at home. Who would have thought?<br/>
 <br/>
They happily chatted for a couple of minutes more, Kiba and Tamaki doing most of the talking - per usual - and only stopped when a loud voice announced that the doors were opening.<br/>
 <br/>
Hinata guessed that around 100 people had been invited to the civil ceremony, with probably twice the amount planned to attend the after-party. Although the ceremony hall looked big, it would hardly contain every guest and Kiba rushed to the first four seats next to one another that he could find in a row not too far in the front. Hinata was grateful for such a rude initiative: she didn’t want to spend the wedding sitting next to some stranger or standing up at the back of the room.<br/>
 <br/>
She sat down last, between Shino and the corridor, careful not to crease her dress, and slid her gift and purse under her seat. She glanced around, secretly pleased deep down with her seat that would give her an uninterrupted view of the ceremony and the couple.<br/>
 <br/>
“Are you comfortably seated?” Asked Shino, apathetic as always. She vigorously shook her head, blushing with happiness.<br/>
 <br/>
From time to time, someone would stop by to say hello, or a hand in another row would raise in the air and yell one of their names. Tenten was seated with Lee and a young blond man she identified as Ino’s cousin a couple of rows behind them; Genma Shiranui, a colleague of Sai she had talked to at a couple of parties, waved at her as he was rushing down the aisle; Temari, Shikamaru’s scary girlfriend, was also there, her untamable blond hair put in two low bunches.<br/>
 <br/>
“I don’t see Shikamaru next to Temari” she told Shino as she tilted her head in his direction. “Is he a best man?”<br/>
 <br/>
Shino didn’t answer. A wall would have been more communicative, but Hinata was used to it. Tall, his long, dark hair reaching his shoulders put together into half a bun, he looked like a bodyguard or a spy with his black suit and sunglasses. He had always been overly sensitive to light and kept them on at all times, even at night. Kiba’s theory was that he had an x-ray vision.<br/>
 <br/>
Hinata straightened up and looked around the hall. The guests were almost all seated and everyone was happily chatting with their neighbors. The mood was festive and the ceremony was probably going to start soon. Kiba leaned over Tamaki to tell them something she did not hear, so she smiled at him in return, hoping this would be enough. Tamaki moved her lips as well and she took advantage of Kiba’s distraction to stop pretending she was listening to him and rest her head on Shino’s shoulder. She yawned, as ladylike as she possibly could.<br/>
 <br/>
Shino gently rested his head against hers.<br/>
 <br/>
“Because of the competition?” He wondered, his voice sweeter than usual.<br/>
 <br/>
Hinata slightly nodded yes, a blank look on her face. She knew she had promised Hanabi not to think about it this weekend, but…<br/>
 <br/>
“It’s so hard to be working every day and to have to study and work some more once you get… I-I’m glad I’m learning so many new things, don’t get me wrong”, she stammered, not wanting for him to think that she was complaining. “It’s just that such a rhythm over such a long period of time can sometimes be a bit…”<br/>
 <br/>
Shino nodded and gave Hinata a side-hug.<br/>
 <br/>
“You worked really hard, you earned a good day of rest.”<br/>
 <br/>
A smile crossed Hinata’s face and she slowly shook her head. People were always surprised to learn that Shino was an elementary teacher, but that was because they didn’t know the real him. He was patient, attentive to others. Caring. Perfect to teach younger children.<br/>
 <br/>
“Shino!” Yelled Kiba who seemingly had overheard all of their conversations, “We agreed! No mention of the competition this weekend!”<br/>
 <br/>
Hinata raised her head, leaving her favorite pillow, and tried to calm down Kiba, blushing hard as Tamaki was trying to change the subject.<br/>
 <br/>
They were in the middle of a video of Akamaru -Kiba’s aging dog- when someone announced the lord Hokage. The din of the crowd stopped almost immediately and everyone respectfully got up as Kakashi Hatake, the current Hokage of Konoha, walked up the aisle, looking bored. He sat down behind a massive wooden desk on the rostrum at the front of the room and waved quickly at the audience before giving his men a signal. <br/>
 <br/>
The crowd sat down as one man and turned around, hundreds of eyes staring at the back door. After a couple of minutes, two couples, the best men and the bridesmaids, walked slowly into the room. Hinata had a smile when she recognized the first couple and waved at them as they were getting closer to her row.<br/>
 <br/>
Tall, incredibly beautiful, bubbly, pink-haired, Sakura Haruno was dressed in a gauzy lilac dress, her long bob impeccably styled, a modest flower crown decorating her head. At her side was Shikamaru Nara -so he was a best man indeed -, his perpetual bothered look on his face. Hinata noticed that he surprisingly wasn’t wearing the goatee he had been sporting for nearly ten years now, and she wondered if Ino had made him shave it for today. Obviously stressed out, Sakura gave her a crisped smile and quickly waved at her while heading toward the rostrum.<br/>
 <br/>
The second couple was following them closely. Hinata didn’t know the young woman but she could tell by her blond hair and slim figure that she probably was one of Ino’s many cousins. Her eyes then shifted to her partner and-<br/>
 <br/>
Her heart missed a beat. Or two.<br/>
 <br/>
When was the last time they had seen each other? It must have been at least three years. Four maybe… Or had it been five?<br/>
 <br/>
She only saw him for half a second, but it felt like his image was printed on her retinas.<br/>
 <br/>
Tall, blond, radiant and blinding, his face usually so mischievous looking abnormally serious. He was walking as straight as possible, his chest sticking out in a way that made his stature seem almost unrecognizable to her. His hair, which she knew were as untamable as Temari’s, were trimmed short, the clean and smart look he was sporting today clashing with everything she ever remembered and knew of him. <br/>
 <br/>
Her first love. Naruto Uzumaki.<br/>
 <br/>
Hinata had noticed him on their very first day of middle school. Loud, rude and always rebelling against pretty much everything, he had made a fool of himself straightaway during the register and she could still hear Kiba’s voice admonishing her for laughing at such silly shenanigans. Even though they never were in the same class, they shared the same friends and saw each other almost every day for the next six years: at lunch, at recess, on their Friday nights gathering and during week-ends. In between classes also sometimes, in the corridors. And even at the gymnasium, when she was done with archery and he was starting base-ball practice. <br/>
 <br/>
Slowly but surely, this middle school crush morphed into true love, a hurricane that exacerbated her senses and knotted her stomach each time she would see him, each time she would hear his name, each time she would catch his smell.<br/>
 <br/>
They had never been that close, no. Nor even really friends. They referred to each other as “friends” because they shared friends and memories together, but that was it. They had never shared any true moment, just the two of them. However, that had never stopped him from always defending Hinata’s vital space within their group, ordering the others to shut up and listen to her when her voice, too low and weak, couldn’t reach their ears. Or when no one would ask her opinion about the next group activity. After she had left for Iwa, not seeing him every day had numbed her love for him and she discovered a life without him constantly on her mind was actually a thing. She could sometimes go on for months without even thinking of him for a second, until the next Konoha reunion would wake up a pain so excruciating that she was still aching six months later.<br/>
 <br/>
After a couple of years, she had grown up and learned from her past mistakes. She started avoiding him altogether, banishing him from her life forever when he probably didn’t even know he had entered it at some point.<br/>
 <br/>
No, they had never shared any true moment together. Except maybe for that one time at the cafeteria, when he had accidentally brushed her right boob when handing Sakura the salt...<br/>
 <br/>
Her ears started buzzing, blood rushing to her head and she felt like the room was spinning -and her with it. How could she regress so easily after that many years of hard work? And how could the simple sight of an old secret love make her feel so miserable? After so long? <br/>
 <br/>
She suddenly felt like she was going to pass out, which would have probably been the case if it wasn’t for Shino pressing his left hand on her right shoulder at that exact same moment. Had he felt her uneasiness?<br/>
 <br/>
She didn’t have the time to ask him though, as the groom was already stepping in the room.<br/>
 <br/>
Sai Ueno was tall, slim, with alabaster skin whiter than snow itself, even whiter than Hinata’s. Triumphant in his three-piece suit, he was sporting the eternal smile and blissful attitude that had swept Ino off her feet in high school. As he walked down the aisle surrounded by his parents, Hinata thought to herself that they didn’t look much alike -before remembering that he was adopted.<br/>
 <br/>
She was mortified by her own stupidity and blushed hard as Sai was getting on the rostrum and seating down on the other side of the desk, his back facing towards the audience.<br/>
 <br/>
Then came the bride.<br/>
 <br/>
A shiver ran through the guests as the wedding march rang out in the silent room and Ino Yamanaka walked in, more radiant and breathtaking than ever.<br/>
 <br/>
She was wearing a long mermaid-style dress with a thick lace and tulle fabric that complimented nicely her long and fine silhouette, emphasizing her above-average attractive features, the sweetheart neckline of it highlighting her swan-like neckline.<br/>
 <br/>
Her blonde hair was delicately arranged in a low-side hair bun, the flowers pinned in it reminiscing of the ones crowning her maids, her red-painted lips beaming. <br/>
 <br/>
The music stopped and Ino, who had reached the end of the aisle, gave her uncle a wet kiss before climbing the stairs to meet Sai.<br/>
 <br/>
The Hokage brightened his voice. The ceremony was ready to start.</p><p> </p><p>“It was a beautiful wedd-i-i-i-ng”, uncontrollably sobbed Sakura after the ceremony, wrapped in Hinata’s arms. She hadn’t stopped crying during the whole thing and, when the time came for the maids and groomsmen to sign the marriage certificate, Hinata thought for a second that she wouldn’t manage to with such shaky hands. After seeing her friend having a hard time walking down the rostrum at the end, and while all the guests were rushing outside to celebrate the new couple, Hinata went back up the flow to help her out, Shino, Kiba and Tamaki following her closely. <br/>
 <br/>
Hinata mummed her agreement before squeezing Sakura even tighter in her little arms, Kiba cracking up behind their back, Tamaki scolding him. Shino handed them a tissue, stoic. He was so thoughtful.<br/>
 <br/>
“Than-an-an-ks”, stammered Sakura, a new sob shaking her voice.<br/>
 <br/>
They stayed like this for a moment, patiently waiting for Sakura to feel better and when they finally got the feeling that her tears were under control, they joined the rest of the party outside to welcome the newlyweds.<br/>
 <br/>
Sakura was right though: it had truly been a beautiful wedding. Ino, her face wet with tears despite having the biggest smile on her face, had the hardest time properly reading her vows and when it had seemed like she was about to break down in the middle of it, Sai had delicately reached out for her hand in an innocent act of support, getting a “ooooooooooh” from the audience, unprepared from such cuteness. He then had proceeded with his own vows and the lord Hokage had pronounced them husband and wife. Sai had carefully cupped his bride’s face, slowly brushing her lips under a thunder of applause. Hinata would have been crying for sure if it wasn’t for Kiba and Shino making her snort with their loud sobbing.<br/>
 <br/>
As they tried to find their way through the crowd clumped together on the forecourt of the building, Hinata wondered. Would her big day come at some point, too? Or was that just an empty prayer, never meant to be heard by anyone but her?<br/>
 <br/>
The crowd cheered and Hinata raised her head just in time to see Ino and Sai exit the building, literally glowing with bliss. She started clapping with the others, and Sakura burst into tears again on her shoulder.<br/>
 <br/>
“They look so-o-o-o-o perfe-e-ect!”<br/>
 <br/>
They stood still there for a while, cheering the couple with the rest of the guests, until it was time for the group pictures. The crowd broke down into little groups, freeing the forefront, waiting for their turn to be called by the photographer.<br/>
 <br/>
They quickly asked for the wedding party, and Hinata gently wiped her thumb under Sakura’s eyes to help her get rid of her panda eyes.<br/>
 <br/>
“How do I look like?” begged her friend, breathing loudly and quickly waving her hands before her eyes to dry them. Hinata couldn’t decide what to say considering her friend’s puffed face and red eyes, but she ultimately decided that since nothing could be done about it, she better encouraged Sakura.<br/>
 <br/>
“You look great” she said with a firm voice that she wanted comforting. Sakura gave her a reassuring smile before walking away, leaving her with Shino and Tenten, who had joined them in the meantime. Kiba and Tamaki, on the other hand, had seemingly vanished.<br/>
 <br/>
When the time came for a group picture with friends, they met with Sakura and the couple in front of the building and Hinata, being by far the smallest of the bunch, was asked to stand right between Ino and one of her university friends that she didn’t know well. The camera flashed once, twice, thrice and the photographer raised his thumb.<br/>
 <br/>
“We’re good!”<br/>
 <br/>
Hinata breathed out, her shoulders relaxing a bit.<br/>
 <br/>
“Only the high school squad, now!” Yelled an overly enthusiastic Ino before they had a chance to leave. Hinata threw her hand at Sakura’s, desperately signaling her that she wanted her by her side. Being on the front line was stressful enough for her, she needed some support. Sakura quickly moved next to her, kindly smiling at her. Hinata slightly slid to her left, their arms bumping into one another, longing for a soothing physical contact. Sakura chuckled.<br/>
 <br/>
The group stopped moving, standing still, ready for the picture, when the photographer suddenly pointed at Hinata.<br/>
 <br/>
“The lady in pink, please move next to the groom!”<br/>
 <br/>
“M-Me?” She stuttered, pointing at herself to be sure.<br/>
 <br/>
“Yes yes, you! Hurry up, please.”<br/>
 <br/>
She glanced over Tenten, who was standing next to Sai, and her eyes caught a sun-kissed mock of hair behind her. Damn it.<br/>
 <br/>
“Sorry, Tenten”, she whispered, toneless, as she slipped next to her, her eyes looking at her shoes. She felt like she was going to faint again.<br/>
 <br/>
She could feel Tenten nodding her head next to her.<br/>
 <br/>
“Perfect”, stated the photographer before tuning his camera. A big frown darkened his face all of the sudden and as his head rose again, he yelled “I need something, a moment please.”<br/>
 <br/>
And he disappeared in the crowd.<br/>
 <br/>
The little group relaxed as one straight away and everyone started engaging in a conversation with their neighbors, like their old selves used to do back in the day when a teacher would leave the class unattended for a couple of minutes.<br/>
 <br/>
“Long time no see, Hinata!” <br/>
 <br/>
She startled, her heart dropping in her chest. The voice was so close to her right ear she could feel his breath brushing her skin. She turned her head around, slowly. Tears were coming, she could feel it. Her stomach started making knots. The earth spun -again. All she could see was his lagoon eyes, deep, untouched by any cloud and anchoring all of her being on them. Her lungs stopped working, leaving her breathless. She felt like she was on the brink of drowning. <br/>
 <br/>
“Hinata? Are you ok?”<br/>
 <br/>
Cool, fresh air entered her lungs again, flushing through her system like cold water. She got a grip of herself and nodded eagerly, her face reddening fast. She clenched her fists. How could she, a grown woman, work herself up into such a state and be ok with it?<br/>
 <br/>
Luckily for her, Naruto had never been much of a focused person and his eyes quickly wandered towards Tenten, his attention with them.<br/>
 <br/>
“So, Tenten, I heard you were leaving for Suna tomorrow to go play tiny tennis?” He joked, violently poking the poor Tenten in the stomach with his elbow.<br/>
 <br/>
She gave him a death stare that sent a shiver down Hinata’s spine.<br/>
 <br/>
“Still not taking my sport seriously, aren’t you?” She hissed, Naruto’s grin becoming bigger and bigger.<br/>
 <br/>
“Sorry” he said, not sounding nor looking sorry at all, “but the only sport more ridiculous than ping-pong …”<br/>
 <br/>
“Table tennis!” Snapped Hinata and Tenten, perfectly synchronized. Correcting people saying “ping-pong” instead of table tennis was such an automatism that Hinata had let the words out without thinking.<br/>
 <br/>
“The only sport more ridiculous than piiiing-poong ”, resumed Naruto, emphasizing the word as much as he could and laughing his ass off in front of a scandalized Tenten, “Is cricket!”<br/>
 <br/>
His sentence’s unexpected outcome took Tenten by surprise and she instinctively covered her mouth to help her repress a burst of laughter. She gave Hinata a meaningful look, the latter trying her best to contain her own hilarity and keep on a straight face. Cricket was Earth Country’s national sport and she had been practicing it almost every week since she was 18 years old.<br/>
 <br/>
Naruto frowned, feeling like he was missing something, but he didn’t have the chance to question them more; the photographer was back. <br/>
 <br/>
Hinata straightened immediately, straight as a ramrod pole. Behind her, someone snorted.<br/>
 <br/>
“Hinata, relax! It’s only a stupid picture!” Naruto chuckled, having noticed her instant change of posture.<br/>
 <br/>
She diligently nodded, not feeling strong enough to look at him. <br/>
 <br/>
Her eyes widened like never before when he lightly stroked her spine with the back of his index, sending electrical impulses in her whole body.<br/>
 <br/>
Her face started irritating as blood rushed to her cheeks. He must have felt her confusion for sure but probably misread it as he kept on stroking her naked back. <br/>
 <br/>
What was he doing? Had he done that to Tenten before her?? And... To the bridesmaid during the ceremony?? Was that supposed to help her relax? Why had she let Hanabi talk her into wearing this stupid dress???<br/>
 <br/>
Hinata managed to get a hold of herself just on time for the picture and, as soon as the photographer raised his thumb, she jumped towards Sakura, putting as much of her friend as she could between him and her. However, when she finally gathered the courage to challenge his glance, he was chatting with Shikamaru as if nothing happened. How could he be acting so casual?</p><p> </p><p>The second part of the wedding, with the dinner and the party, was taking place at the Konoha’s country club. Hinata was fairly familiar with the estate, having been dragged there by her owner of a father on numerous occasions during her youth. At least, she would be in charted territory, she thought.<br/>
 <br/>
The entire first floor of the left-wing had been booked for the event, including a reception hall filled with dinner tables and a dance room.<br/>
 <br/>
To Hinata’s great relief, Ino had been incredibly thoughtful and had seated her with Kiba, Shino, Tamaki, Lee and Tenten, protecting her from any kind of unwanted encounter or awkward talks with strangers. She did her best to find a stable-enough spot for her to drop her gift on the dedicated table near the main entrance, already fully covered with bags and packages, and hurried back to her spot, in between Tamaki and Shino. Where were their other friends sitting ?<br/>
 <br/>
She slightly raised her neck, trying to recognize any familiar faces in the crowd. She finally had a glance at the central table, the one where Ino and Sai would be seated, and saw Sakura, Shikamaru and Temari carrying a conversation. The sight of Sakura smiling and happily chatting made Hinata sigh in relief. She then noticed Ino’s other bridesmaid next to Temari, and on her right seat…<br/>
 <br/>
Hinata abruptly turned away, heat rushing to the base of her neck, and again, she could feel a flush of anger. Why did she have to react like a little high schooler craving romance? Hadn’t gone through all of that in high school been punishment enough already?<br/>
 <br/>
She noted Shino’s emotionless face turned towards her and sank in her chair, pouting.<br/>
 <br/>
Fortunately for her, the rest of the evening went just fine.<br/>
 <br/>
They cheered for the newly couple when they entered the hall to join their table. They commented on the entire ceremony in great length, detailing to one another what they had enjoyed about it and what they wished would have been done differently, making great use of the sentence “Would it have been my wedding…”. They laughed -a lot-, ate -a lot-, dank -a lot-, though Hinata less than the others. She had never held her liquor really well nor enjoyed it that much, and was mostly just taking a sip whenever they had to toast.<br/>
 <br/>
The night was punctuated by various speeches: the mothers of the newlyweds’; Shikamaru’s -his lasted less than a minute and Hinata thought he could die of boredom before even finishing it-; Ino’s mystery bridesmaid’s. Seeing that neither Sakura nor he were getting up to give one, Hinata relaxed. She did not think that she could bear with his raspy, rich and jovial intonations. <br/>
 <br/>
The happy couple kiss. They cheered. The happy couple cut the cake. They cheered. The happy couple danced their first dance as husband and wife. They cheered.<br/>
 <br/>
Everything was going according to plan. Everything looked perfect.<br/>
 <br/>
Seated on one of the numerous chairs that longed the wall of the dancing room, Hinata was innocently giggling at the sight of her friends going wild on the dancefloor. Even Shino had caved in, but she was way too self-conscious by her lack of proper coordination to dance in front of so many unfamiliar faces. The DJ was playing popular lively tunes and, while the older guests had mostly stayed in the reception hall to chat and have some cake, the youngest one had followed through with Ino and Sai and were ruling the dancefloor. <br/>
 <br/>
After a couple of minutes, Hinata’s eyes started to wander on their own and they spotted him , on the other side of the room next to some chairs, chatting with Shikamaru and Temari. Of course, she couldn’t hear a word of what they were saying with the noise of the party, but he had a big grin on his face, one of the grins he always had in high school and that felt so familiar that for a second, she couldn’t help smiling. He then proceeded to raise his arms up in the air, his fingers crossing behind the back of his head. For the umpteenth time today, she felt like she was 17 again, spying on him behind her plate at the cafeteria. <br/>
 <br/>
She was so absorbed in her peeping, his sunny skin, his oh-so-cute dimples, his cheerful and sweet blue eyes that she didn’t even notice Shino standing right next to her. He cleared his throat to catch her attention, and offered her his hand.<br/>
 <br/>
“You have to come and dance with us, Hinata. Why? Because…”<br/>
 <br/>
And he pointed at Kiba who was leaning over the DJ’s table, shouting at them with the biggest smile: “It’s our song!”<br/>
 <br/>
The first familiar notes of an old pop song resonated in the air and Hinata jumped on her feet straight away, grabbing Shino’s hand and dragging him to the dancefloor and Kiba. She may have hated dancing in public but it was set and done: it was their song, a tune they had listened to, sang to, danced on countless times. The song that crystallized their odd trio and would forever remind them of their youth together.<br/>
 <br/>
She hated dancing in public but what could she do about it. It was their song. She had to.<br/>
 <br/>
The three of them started singing along with the singer, loud. Hinata could feel herself loosening up, the tension in her back vanishing as she put her hands in the air and moved her hips, getting in the rhythm with Shino and Kiba. The three of them started to showcase the ridiculous moves that years of practice had blended together into one badly synchronized choreography, but Hinata couldn’t care less. It was their song.<br/>
 <br/>
A voice screamed “Woooooooh, Hinataaaaa” and the next second, Sakura, Ino, Sai, Tenten and Tamaki had joined them in their stupid dance, pure bliss irradiating from them as they sang and laughed at each other’s silly moves.<br/>
 <br/>
“Hinata!” Yelled a raspy voice near her, “Who would have guessed you could be this fun??”<br/>
 <br/>
She looked around and saw Naruto, Shikamaru and Temari joining them as well. He got closer to her and Sakura, a smile from ear to ear on his face like the Cheshire cat, catching up to their rhythm. Their eyes locked.<br/>
 <br/>
She couldn’t tell if he was teasing her or if he was being serious. <br/>
 <br/>
“I’ve always been this fun!” She yelled back at him, staring at him defiantly.<br/>
 <br/>
She couldn’t tell if he was teasing her or if he was being serious, but in this very second, she couldn’t care less.<br/>
 <br/>
It was their song. And she was not a high schooler anymore.<br/>
 <br/>
He laughed, louder than the music, and she closed her eyes to get back in the moment.<br/>
 <br/>
The song ended abruptly, but no one made a move to leave the dance floor and they kept going as one man during the next one. And the next one. And the next one.<br/>
 <br/>
From time to time, one of them would leave for a second to go and ask the DJ for a specific song from their adolescence spent together, and once the group would recognize the first notes, they would all cheer.<br/>
 <br/>
When was the last time she had been so happy and carefree? She actually felt relaxed, the vibrations of the music in her chest surprisingly soothing her worries and anxiety. She was at peace.<br/>
 <br/>
She danced with Sakura, Kiba, Shino, Kiba, Tamaki, Kiba, Tenten, and even with Ino and Sai. But more than anything, she danced with him.<br/>
 <br/>
Not once did they touch but still, Hinata could swear that they were dancing together. The way their bodies were facing one another. The way they only had eyes for one another. The smiles he was showering her with, the giggles she had for him. Never before during the last fifteen years spent in the same small circle of friends had they ever shared one moment together. For crying out loud, had they even looked at each other over the course of the last decade as much as they had today?<br/>
 <br/>
And yet, here they were, dancing together.<br/>
 <br/>
It was beautiful, like one of those movie scenes where time seems to slow down and the world to blur, except with a much more attractive blond protagonist.<br/>
 <br/>
One after the other, the dancers were exiting the room, exhausted, but Naruto and Hinata kept going like it was still the first song. Could he feel it too, the magical mood that was surrounding them in this very moment, forbidding reality to come back?<br/>
 <br/>
She couldn’t tell. She scanned his cheerful, cerulean eyes, only getting pure happiness. Her smile got bigger. And they kept dancing.</p><p> </p><p>“Last song and it’s over!” Told them the DJ as he rushed outside the room at the end of an especially lively tune. Naruto and Hinata stopped for a second, catching their breath and, to her surprise, she realized they were the only ones left.<br/>
 <br/>
“Damn, where is everybody?” Asked Naruto, apparently as startled as she was. This observation secretly pleased her and she blushed, blessing the heavens for the darkroom.<br/>
 <br/>
The first notes of the last tune reached their ears and they both raised their head, trying to identify it. The seductive piano and voice of Tony Bennet started surrounding them, the slow ballad abruptly bringing the mood into foreign territories neither of them was ready for.<br/>
 <br/>
Hinata reddened even more, too self-conscious to look at him in the eye.<br/>
 <br/>
Awkward. This was awkward. <br/>
 <br/>
Naruto scratched his head, looking as embarrassed as she felt on the inside and, even in the dark, Hinata could tell he was blushing. Their eyes met and Hinata stiffened, her distraught doe eyes wide opened.<br/>
 <br/>
He let out a nervous chuckle.<br/>
 <br/>
“Oh well, Miss Hyūga Hinata”, he said, his voice rising half an octave above his regular tone, “Would you honor me with a last dance?”<br/>
 <br/>
Hinata’s mouth dropped, her face now brighter than a beacon of light in the darkest storm. After the initial choc of his proposal however, she frowned. Dancing? Hadn’t they just been doing that for the last couple of hours?<br/>
 <br/>
He laughed nervously and, probably considering Hinata’s lack of reaction for a yes, grabbed her by the waist, pulling her slightly closer to him. Hinata held her breath, her heart on the verge of giving up, her eyes still wide opened.<br/>
 <br/>
She did not know what had gotten into her -a reflex? The three sips of champagne she had had around midnight when they cut the cake, maybe?- but in turn, she shyly laid her hands on his chest, feeling his muscles tighten under her light touch. His eyebrows slightly frowned, an inscrutable expression on his face, slowly, really slowly, they started to swing around.<br/>
 <br/>
Hinata could feel under her hands his pectorals, firm and developed. Did he work out regularly?<br/>
 <br/>
She could feel the heat radiating from her face but she no longer cared. She knew the song would end soon, she knew they’d part ways after that and never see each other again, she knew reality was on its way to pop this weird, impossible bubble they had spent the last hours building around them and spill all of that sweet, painful vibe that surrounded them, that she could feel and bet he could feel too, a mix of electricity, gleeful anxiety and physical hunger. Would have she been younger, she would have never been able to keep going, she would have run away and hid from his intense stare but she was not a child anymore. She boldly held his glaze, ignoring the blood rushing to her face, neck and chest, pumping harder and harder. They didn’t say anything, nor smile at each other anymore, they were just there, slowly moving around, a certain gravitas to his face that sent shivers down her spine. All of the sudden, she realizes how much more mature and older he looked now than in her memory. So tall, light golden skin, broad shoulders - such broad shoulders! -, his warm sandy hair trimmed short, he was more of a man and less like the young boy of her adolescent fantasies. He pressed almost imperceptibly on her waist a little harder, and she replicated by digging her hands into his shoulders a little more. She wished they would never stop.<br/>
 <br/>
After a moment -short or long, she cannot say-, she realized the music had stopped and that they weren’t moving anymore. He blinked, and for a second, it felt like he was about to say something to her.<br/>
 <br/>
She was not a child anymore. She was not that petite and fragile, pathetic teenager that could only regret never gathering enough courage to speak her mind or make a move. She owed it to this shy teenager to do something. She could not give up now, not after this night. Come on, Hina, do something, say something. Now.<br/>
 <br/>
She started moving her hands closer to his neck, her butt muscles tightening up to help her tiptoes as she looked at his lips...<br/>
 <br/>
“Naruuuutooooooo, here you aaaaaaaare!”<br/>
 <br/>
They both violently jumped away from one another as Shikamaru, Kiba and a third unknown guy walked into the room, obviously drunk as hell and heading towards him.<br/>
 <br/>
“We were looking for youuuuu!” Yelled Kiba in her ears, the quiet and empty room making his voice sound 10 times louder. “We opened that excellent whisky with Sai and the boys, come drink with us…”<br/>
 <br/>
She didn’t hear his answer -nor the rest of the conversation- for she was already at the door, red, blood pumping hard and fast in her head, gasping for some air. She didn't look back at him or say goodbye. <br/>
 <br/>
Their moment was gone and it wouldn’t come back.<br/>
 <br/>
She dashed through the reception room, grabbing her purse that she had left on her table, and shot for the hallway, within her mind fixating on one clear goal: leaving the building. She ran through the empty corridor and reached the main entrance in no time, almost falling from opening the front door so violently.<br/>
 <br/>
She gasped for fresh air, her breast uncontrollably going up and down, pure adrenaline rushing through her body. She stumbled towards the nearest wall and leaned against it, eyes closed, trying to retake control of her breath. She hadn't felt like that in forever. <em>Breathe</em>, she told herself, <em>You need to breathe</em>.<br/>
 <br/>
She stayed here, time escaping her as the sky got slightly less dark, the stars slowly hiding their beauty from her. She let a deep sigh out. She was feeling better.<br/>
 <br/>
Exhausted like after running two marathons back to back, the only thing she wanted right now was to get in bed, fast. She started walking down the central lane connecting the country club to the main entrance, when she caught little chuckles, a voice calling her name.<br/>
 <br/>
“Hey, if that isn’t Hinata! Hi-na-taaaaaa, youhou! Come over here!”<br/>
 <br/>
She looked around and, on a lawn on the left, she saw Ino, Sakura, Tamaki and Temari sitting in the grass, facing the awakening sun. Hinata sighed and put on a smile. Her bed would wait.<br/>
 <br/>
Carefully, she stepped across the low wall that divided the lane from the lawn and sat down at one end of the little line. She breathed out and rested her heavy head on Tamaki’s shoulder without a word, her stare lost in the golden horizon. Tamaki wrapped an arm around her shoulders. That felt nice.<br/>
 <br/>
“So, Hinata”, finally asked Ino with a blaring voice, “Where were you? We thought we had left with Tenten!”<br/>
 <br/>
“Oh, nowhere special”, she eluded, “just socializing, you know.”<br/>
 <br/>
This was a blatant lie but luckily for her, the girls were obviously too drunk to catch up on that and they all seemed to accept her explanation without batting an eyelid. <br/>
 <br/>
She did not feel like telling them about what happened earlier with Naruto. This thing they had, this intimacy she felt, she wanted to keep it to herself, just a tiny bit more.<br/>
 <br/>
A nearly emptied champagne bottle made its way towards her and, without leaving Tamaki’s shoulder, she took a sip straight from it while looking at the sun coloring the sky. <br/>
 <br/>
“It feels so peaceful…” Whispered in the distance Temari.<br/>
 <br/>
The girls silently hummed their approval, standing still. The weight of the night slowly faded away, the chirping of the birds getting louder as the sun got higher.<br/>
 <br/>
“I cannot believe Ino got married”, said Sakura. “It’s official, we aren’t children anymore.”<br/>
 <br/>
“Not true!” Laughed Ino, “I’m the only married woman around here! You girls are still innocent maids looking for the prince that’ll turn them into Queens!”<br/>
 <br/>
The girls all giggled while passing the bottle and enjoying the end of their night, perfect, as every other one should be.<br/>
 <br/>
Hinata pushed in a corner of her mind all the memories of the last hours, visualizing herself locking them up in a chest, ready to move on -but not before a slightly obnoxious smile found its way to her lips. She knew she would cherish those memories forever, but fear of the pain -sharp, lasting- scared her too much to allow them to be roaming freely in her mind.<br/>
 <br/>
<em>Sakura’s right though… I’m not a child anymore.</em><br/>
 <br/>
And upon those words of wisdom, she settled into the dawn, ready to face her future.</p><p> </p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Pfiou, thank you for making it till the end!</p><p>This first chapter may be too long and plotty, sorry... I may have crammed it with too many details and unnecessary scenes now I think of it, but when proof-reading it, I could bring myself to delete anything! I'll do better next time ahah ;)</p><p>See you next time!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Living the "moment"</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Hi everyone!</p><p>I'm back with another chapter, this time written in English straight away from start to finish, which ended up being waaaaaay harder than I expected it to be. I feel like some of my sentences may not always sound 100% correct but I'm having a hard time departing from my original language, so feel free to correct me in the comments!</p><p>This chapter is all about our best boi Naruto and writing him felt like a totally different experience than from writing Hinata (something every author on the planet probably knows already but I literally did not expect it)</p><p>Enjoy the plot ^_^</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>  <i>[08/01/21: Minor editing to correct typos and fix the formatting]</i></p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“Shikamaru?”</p><p>“Hum?”</p><p>“How do you know if you’ve had a <em>moment</em>?”</p><p>Shikamaru raised an eyebrow and intensely stared at Naruto, uncertain about the meaning of his question. He knew Shikamaru was scanning his facial expression in this very instant, trying to decipher what was going on in this “big, empty brain” of his before saying anything and usually, seeing his friend and colleague puzzled by whatever wild thought was coming out from his mouth widely entertained him. But not today.</p><p>He frowned at Shikamaru, waiting for an answer.</p><p>He could see him on the other side of their enormous shared desk, between piles of reports, singles sheets and books, sucking on his teeth, standing still. After a few seconds of suspense, he decided it was probably for the best to ignore Naruto and focused on his computer again.</p><p>“Hey! I asked you a question!” Yelled Naruto, frustrated.</p><p>“You’re still too young to know”, casually answered Shikamaru while keep looking at his screen, unbothered.</p><p>Naruto frowned even harder and abruptly got out of his chair, ready to snap back at his colleague if it hadn’t been for their manager kicking the back of his head with a volume of the Fire Nation’s Legal Form anthology. Naruto withdrew to his seat with a small “ouch!”, giving Yamato dirty looks while rubbing his aching skull. Yamato carefully dropped the thick volume on Naruto’s desk, and this latter caught a glimpse of the title. It was Consumer and Borrower Protection to Contractors’ Bonds, their boss’ weapon of choice when it came to hitting one of his subordinates over the head.</p><p>“Boss, that was uncalled for!” Whined Naruto, outraged. Yamato pretended to pick up the book again and Naruto flung up his hands in surrender. </p><p>“That was totally called for, you’re way too noisy”, monotoned his manager. “This is the lord Hokage’s Assistants’ office, for God sakes, and…”</p><p>Naruto rolled his eyes and got back to work, unwilling to listen to yet another speech from Yamato. </p><p>“Don’t be too hard on him Yamato”, intervened Shikamaru, seemingly peacefully working, undisturbed by the commotion he had helped create. “He danced with a girl at a wedding for the first time and now he’s trying to understand what’s going on his pan-”</p><p>His last word died in his mouth as <em>Consumer and Borrower Protection to Contractors’ Bonds</em> swung again in the air, against the back of his head.</p><p>“And you, stop being such a smart-ass” interrupted Yamato, Shikamaru silently complaining while Naruto laughed upon him. “Moreover,” he added, giving the blond assistant a side glance, “It’s morally wrong for you to pick-up on Naruto, he’s way slower than you.”</p><p>“Hey!” Protested Naruto, leaping from his chair like he was readying himself for a fight.</p><p>“Shut up!” Yelled Konohamaru from his corner office, as he threw a rubber at Naruto and Yamato, “I’m on the phone with the plane company!”</p><p>As the lord Hokage of the Fire Country, Kakashi Hatake had his own team of assistants -the Hokage’ staff-, consisting of Yamato, Shikamaru Nara, part-time adviser and ex-Chief of Staff to the previous Hokage Shizune Katō, their intern Konohamaru Sarotubi, and Naruto. Their role as a cabinet was to provide daily support to the Hokage, no matter the subject at hand, give political guidance and, more than anything, work behind the scenes to deal with and solve any issue before they were brought to the Lord Hokage’s attention. The job was incredibly enthralling and Naruto loved every minute of it -well, except maybe when he was being picked on, or had to sleep at the office, which happened almost every day.</p><p>Someone stepped into the office, asking for Yamato and once the Chief of Staff gone, Naruto and Shikamaru both relaxed, too glad to be out of range of trigger-happy Yamato’s book. Naruto rubbed his neck, contemplative. Shikamaru was way off beam, of course, but he had to admit that what had happened between Hinata and him at Sai’s wedding last week-end bothered him. He knew that the dances they shared felt awkward and off: him, usually so unapologetic about his attitude, who had never experienced such self-consciousness before, had blushed like… like… Well, like a Hinata, because of stupid dance?</p><p>What actually bothered him the most was that he was truly unable to understand why. After all, hadn’t he known Hinata for what, the past fifteen years? So how come seeing her again a at stupid wedding and dancing with her would feel so weird and different from doing that with any other human being?</p><p>Annoyed, his brain overheating from the sheer number of thoughts that were tumbling out, he tousled his short and spiky hair out of frustration, defeated. <em>That damn Sai</em>, he thought to himself, why did he have to say such cryptic things and then leave him behind without an explanation? "I think that’s what is called a moment, Naruto", had he commented on the Sunday morning, once Naruto had joined the boys for one last drink and had told them about the weird vibes he had gotten from his dances with Hinata. <br/>
What was that even supposed to mean?</p><p>He sighed, sinking even deeper in his chair, his arms laying down, unable to focus. He had never been that interested in girls in the first place, and he couldn’t exactly say that he had ever really thought about romance or experienced anything remotely close to what Sakura’s mushy movies depicted. Now that he was also thinking about it, Hinata was still Hinata to him, nothing had changed in that regard. She still looked as shy and uptight as she did in high school, except with bigger boobs. And prettier eyes. And nice, curvy hips. And there was something in her smile that made her face sparkle every time...  </p><p>He scratched his head. No no, this awkward vibe that he had sensed had nothing to do with Hinata. Maybe it was the music’s vibrations? Or, unbeknown to himself, could he have swallowed some kind of substance? That sounded plausible, right?</p><p>A sharp pain suddenly interrupted his chain of thoughts and he looked daggers at Shikamaru who was standing behind him, fulminating.</p><p>“What was that for?” He shot, his skull feeling even sorer than before.</p><p>“Yamato and the lord Hokage are asking for us” yawned his colleague as he exited the office dragging his feet, Naruto still rubbing his head.</p><p> </p><p>Kakashi Hatake was the current lord Hokage of the Fire Country, a position that no one, not even himself, fully comprehended. In his mid-forties, his hair already grey, he was always sporting a face mask, something that Naruto always put down to a fear of germs. He shared with Shikamaru a certain disdain for work and rarely seemed bothered by anything, his eyes smiling at his assistants most of the time whatever they said. He had many hobbies and wasn’t afraid of showcasing them in the workplace, such as reading shameful doujins involving his favorite characters during meetings, discussing fan theories with employees and writing more than questionable literature on his work computer. As his Chief of Staff, Yamato was the poor soul who had to deal with his quirks and antics.</p><p>“Lord Hokage”, he begged of him, as per usual, “Please come join us and work… We need to prepare your upcoming trip with the Fire Daimyo to Earth Country!”</p><p>Naruto and Shikamaru shared a meaningful look across the table while Yamato kept whinging. After three years at the Hokage’s service, they had grown accustomed to Kakashi “unorthodox” behavior and his curious time and prioritization management skills. </p><p>“Are you reading some shady fanfictions again, Master Kakashi?” Bluntly asked Naruto, expertly avoiding an under-table kick for Shikamaru. Kakashi shook his head and, without taking his eyes from his screen, signaled him to get closer. Naruto quickly got on his feet, ignoring Yamato’s desperate protests, and rushed to the lord Hokage’s desk, his bright blue eyes glued to the screen. He frowned, disappointed.</p><p>“It’s a drama from the other continent”, explained Kakashi, his full attention on the subtitles. “Lady Senju and Shizune introduced me to it and I’ve been watching it every chance I got ever since. It’s about three… Eh!”</p><p>The screen turned black without warning and the two men brought their faces closer to the monitor, as if their dumbfounded stares could bring back the images.</p><p>Shikamaru magically appeared behind it, raising like the dead from under the desk, a thick black plug in his hand.</p><p>“Problem solved, Yamato”, he simply said before joining their manager back at the huge meeting table that was waiting for them, Naruto and Kakashi clearly pouting with disappointment.</p><p>They joined their two colleagues at the table and as the strained exchange between the lord Hokage -who considered that given all the all-nighters that he was pulling, it was basically a birthright for him to take a break whenever he wanted- and Yamato -who pointed out that if Kakashi wasn’t taking so many random breaks during the day, he wouldn’t even have to work at night in the first place- started straight away, Konohamaru quickly showed up to close the main door of the office in an effort to protect a semblance of dignity in case someone else would walk past there. </p><p>In this kind of situation, both Naruto and Shikamaru knew better than to try to stop them. They normally just looked at one another, waiting for the storm to go away. Naruto gave them a disabused glance and sighed; with their constant bickering, they sounded like an old, bitter couple. </p><p><em>I wonder if Hinata is the nagging type</em>, he thought to himself. </p><p>As soon as the words had formed in his mind, he opened his eyes wide open and frantically shook his head, trying to get a grip of himself. What was with him today?</p><p> </p><p>“I cannot wait for this day to end”, he told Shikamaru and Sakura later that night at the dinner table, leaving his bowl of awful ramen from the Sarutobi Memorial Hospital cafeteria almost untouched. Sakura raised an eyebrow as she slurped an exceptionally long noodle, staining the light pink scrub she was wearing and that signaled her belonging to the Pediatric Department. She swallowed some of her chicken broth to help the noodle go down, her vivid emerald eyes trying to read into Naruto’s cryptic complaint.</p><p>It was almost a sacred tradition for Naruto to drop by Sakura’s work to have dinner with her on the evenings she was on night shift and, more often than not, Shikamaru would tag along, complaining about it even though no one had actually invited him to join them.</p><p>Tall, fit, beautiful, with short pink hair and dashing green eyes, Sakura was what Naruto called a “pretty woman”. She probably was the closest thing he ever had to an ideal woman and they had been such best friends since middle school that she would also probably be the closest thing he would ever have to an actual woman in his life -not that he was romantically interested in her in any way. A hospital intern, she was on an incredibly busy schedule and he felt like only she, among all his female acquaintances, could understand the life he led and the sacrifices he made. They always had been there to support one another, taking care of the other in sickness, forcing the other to go out and enjoy life from time to time, sharing breakfasts, lunches and dinners together when no one else would. Shikamaru may have been his best friend but Sakura -just like Sasuke back in the day- was his family.</p><p>“Are you still thinking about that moment thingy?” Sighed Shikaramu as he emptied his bowl. “I told you that you are too young for such a talk already. Why won’t you just give up already?”</p><p>Sakura leaned herself across the dinner table, suddenly interested in the gossip she could smell.</p><p>“Naruto”, she asked, giddily, “Are you interested in someone?”</p><p>“It’s Hinata”, signaled her a whole too smirky Shikamaru.</p><p>“No waaaaay!” She gasped, her mouth forming a gigantic “o”. Naruto dismissed the statement with an exclamation of disdain and a move of the hand. Never in his life had he tried to look as cool and unbothered as in this exact moment.</p><p>“Nah, don’t listen to him, Sakura! Plus, you know me, I don’t have time for all you girls dram-” </p><p>Sakura’s threatening looks sent cold shivers down his spine, effectively dissuading him from finishing his sentence.</p><p>“I mean, I haven’t met anyone yet, Ma'am.” </p><p>He shivered at the sight of Sakura’s tightly-closed fist, fearing an unannounced punch. </p><p>“Then, what is he talking about” she asked, pointing at Shikamaru with a nod of her pink head. Good question. Naruto looked up at the white and stern ceiling, thinking about the best way to convey his inner turmoil.</p><p>“So, at some point during the party, I was with someone…”</p><p>“Hinata” clarified Shikamaru for Sakura in a fake cough with a scornful smile.</p><p>“SO, at some point during the party” he repeated louder, trying to ignore his friends’ sniggers, “I was with someone -<em>whose identity should remain anonymous</em>- and, I don’t know, there was something in the air, something felt weird and off and… And it’s not like the person was anything special or what, but that mood around us…”</p><p>He pulled a face at Sakura and Shikamaru, who were too busy exchanging an exceptionally smirky look full of meaning, and finally resigned himself. They obviously wouldn’t be of any help on this topic, at least not tonight. He opened his mouth, ready to complain, but Sakura beat him to it.</p><p>“Well, you know” she started, a paternalistic look upon her face while playing with her customized Hello Kitty cap, “The laws of love and attraction are a mysterious thing! Look at Shikamaru and Temari”, she added. “They seemed terribly mismatched and yet, they have been together for what, ten years now?”</p><p>“Nine in August”, yawned Shikamaru while grabbing his soda, his slightly pinker cheeks not going unnoticed.</p><p>Sakura playfully poked him in the belly with his elbow. “What do you guys even see in one another?” she laughed, teasing him. Shikamaru looked away, his face reddening a bit more every second, obviously incredibly embarrassed by the subject. Self-consciousness was not an emotion Naruto was used to see him display.</p><p>After all, as far as he could remember, Shikamaru Nara had always been a more “unemotional” kind of guy. His constant apathy and laid-back attitude were often mistaken with extreme composure, something Naruto found especially hilarious since he had never met someone more reluctant to do or say literally anything than Shikamaru. Even on the rare occasions that he had seen his friend with Temari, Shikamaru had always showcased a perfect nonchalance about his relationship, so seeing him right now blush like a high schooler secretly delighted him.</p><p>Shikamaru started to cough, a bit too vigorously to sound credible and, under the pressure of his two friends’ insistent looks, caved in.</p><p>“She’s strong and independent. She can take care of herself. She’s almost mannish. If we were lost in the wilderness, she would provide for me. I like that in a woman.”</p><p>And he buried himself in his soda, Naruto and Sakura cracking up so loudly that people around them started to turn around. Sakura had to grab Shikamaru’s reluctant shoulder to avoid falling over backward and Naruto dried a tear forming in the corner of his eye. Nevertheless, even if he found Shikamaru’s answer way too funny to not use it as a weapon against him in the future, he still wondered if his friend was really being serious or not. </p><p><em>The laws of love and attraction are a mysterious thing</em>. Sakura had a point, though. Naruto glanced at her weary face, enlightened by a big grin and he indulged in the sweet melody of her laughter for a minute. That’s how he loved her the most: happy and carefree. </p><p>It was no secret within their little group of high school friends that she had always had a thing for Sasuke Uchiha, an old classmate of them that now worked for the Hokage’s Intelligence Service Division. During all these years, she had kept on pinning after him while Sasuke, on the other hand, barely seemed to even acknowledge her presence on the sparse occasions he would meet up with the gang. One night, sad and drunk, she had revealed to Naruto that they had kissed a couple of times but that Sasuke had always ignored her afterward -a piece of information he could have gone a lifetime without knowing and that had made him feel extremely discomforted. </p><p><em>Love and attraction must have been two extremely powerful weapons</em>, he thought while taking a sip from his own drink, for someone as strong-willed as Sakura to let a guy mistreat her like that.</p><p>Their dinner finished, the three friends exited the cafeteria and joined Shikamaru for a smoke outside. The conversation strayed on Sai and Ino’s honeymoon, before settling on the new show that the lord Hokage was watching and that, apparently, Sakura also knew about.</p><p>“I’ve been so obsessed about it recently”, she joyfully rambled, as Naruto was doing his best to avoid Shiakamaru’s smoke. “You guys should really give it a try!”</p><p>“What is it about?” Asked Naruto, doubtful. From what he had seen of it earlier on, the show looked way too foreign for him, with foreign-looking actors from a foreign-looking country and culture speaking a foreign-sounding tongue.</p><p>“It’s about three young apprentices that are learning magic, which is something like chakra except that they seem to have unlimited reserves of it and need a stick to channel it, and you follow them as the main character tries to become the next magic high priest and him and his friends are going on adventures. Oh, and also, he has one of those other continent’s weird-looking dragons sealed inside of him, which allows him to use what they call "the power of fire" and become super strong” She offloaded, obviously way too passionate about what sounded to Naruto like the most stupid kids show ever.</p><p>“... It sounds lame” dropped Shikamaru, who looked as unfazed as Naruto despite Sakura burning enthusiasm. She pouted at them, visibly disappointed by their lack of reaction, and tutted at Shikamaru.</p><p>“Ino and I told Temari about the show, she’s gonna make you watch it with her”, she retorted sharply, the shadow a silent cry of horror passing on Shikamaru’s face.</p><p>They kept talking outside for a couple of minutes more before seeing Sakura at the employees’ entrance of the hospital. The boys then started heading back to the Hokages’ Palace, readying themselves for a night of work, both too lost in their own thoughts to talk. </p><p>Naruto was reflecting on their conversation, thinking about Shikamaru and Temari’s relationship.</p><p>Considering the hours that they were pulling, Shikamaru was barely ever home at night and, even when on their days off, it wasn’t uncommon for them to be at the office. If she had someone, Sakura would find herself in the same situation for sure, and Naruto wondered how the life partners of busy and career-oriented people like them were handling things. Obviously, Temari couldn’t be too happy or satisfied with the situation, no? Moreover, he had heard her yelling at Shikamaru countless times over the phone, like when he had happened to prioritize work over her, their anniversary or their summer holiday with her family in Suna -though this later had been 100% set up by Shikamaru to avoid spending time with them.</p><p>Naruto had always wanted to become Hokage. This had been his dream ever since he had been able to apprehend the world surrounding him, and that was the goal he was working so hard to reach, the motor that kept him going even when he was feeling down, the ideal he had sacrificed so much for. He worked for it every single day of the week, spent innumerable nights at the office and the only little free-time he managed to spare for himself was dedicated to his bed, his friends, and the gym three times a week. How could he ever fit anyone else in such a tight planning? And who could be even remotely ok with living with a shadow?</p><p>“Shikamaru?” He suddenly ventured, breaking the abnormal heavy silence that had been wrapping them since they had left the Hospital. Shikamaru’s eyes darted around as he emerged for the depth of his thoughts and he gave him a slightly questioning look. Naruto paused for a second, unsure.</p><p>“Shikamaru”, he tried again, “Doesn’t it bother Temari when you eat with Sakura and me instead of her, and go back straight to the office instead of heading home?”</p><p>Shikamaru slowly nodded his head to signal Naruto that he had heard him, his pace slowing down as he looked up to the sky, miles away from the big avenue they were walking on.</p><p>“Temari isn’t home, right now. And, even if that wasn’t the case, she keeps busy. As a professional harpist working for the regional orchestra, she’s always on the move and when she’s not, she has like a ton of rehearsals and her concerts are usually at night. As I told you before, I genuinely like that she’s so independent. She has her own passion, her own career, her own life. She understands why I am so dedicated to my work and vice versa. We support each other’s goals. That’s what I need and I wouldn’t picture a relationship working with anyone else because of it, I guess.”</p><p>Naruto nodded, an understanding pout on his face. Relationships seemed way too complicated and troublesome to him. Probably better to rule out any of these unholy and mind-clouding thoughts that had assaulted his brain all day long, at least for now. Love was obviously not for the faint of heart. </p><p>Realizing that Shikamaru was walking ahead, he picked up the pace and the two headed back to the office in silence, the starry night looking after them.</p><p> </p><p>Days and weeks went by without Naruto remembering any of the worries he had experienced in the aftermath of Sai’s wedding. With Yamato, Shizune, Shikamaru and Konohamaru, they were all extremely busy organizing their upcoming trip to Earth Country and Iwagakure, the economical and political capital of the nation. </p><p>As important those business voyages might be, Naruto dreaded them. The only thought of taking an airplane or a train knotted his stomach and made him feel nauseous, and their foreign stays normally meant that he wouldn’t get much to eat. His overall distaste for other cultures’ cuisines and sweets in general had not weakened over the years and, to overcome this major disagreement, he would always pack dozens of instant ramens to bring abroad with him, something that Shikamaru and the lord Hokage never stopped commenting and laughing about.</p><p>“My poor Naruto”, commented Shikamaru while watching him letting himself heavily fall on one of the twin beds of their Ocher House suite, “You really can’t handle your traveling, can you?”</p><p>His face sinking deep into the freshly washed pillow, he let out a growl, too overwhelmed by his lingering lurching stomach to put in the effort to form comprehensible words. He took a deep breath, inhaling the scents of the sheets, an imperceptible soapy fragrance with a hint of lavender, and for half a second, he felt a bit better. A mass sat on the bed and his body slightly bounced, but he didn’t make a move. Shikamaru lighted his cigarette and took a puff. Soon enough, the lumpy smell got to his eyes and nose, stinging them sharply, and he let out a cough before pushing his friend away with his feet.</p><p>“Don’t smoke in the bedroom, you moron!” He fumed, flapping a feeble hand at his face to clear his respiratory system. “One of us dying from lung cancer is more than enough already!”</p><p>Shikamaru chuckled as he exhaled another puff towards Naruto, earning him an apposite pillow in the face. He retreated to the window, opened it, and from this moment on kept his bad habit outside. </p><p>“If you have enough energy to fight back, you mustn't feel that sick then”, he observed as Naruto was getting on his back, trying to find a less uncomfortable position for his dizzy mind. Shikamaru took his phone out of his pocket, checking for the time.</p><p>“We should start getting ready for dinner”, he frowned. “Otherwise, we’ll keep everyone waiting. Go shower first”, he added while giving the human wreck laying on the bed one of those stares where condescension blends with pity and you cannot tell if your conversation partner despises you or not. </p><p>It took Naruto every ounce of will to get up and head to the bathroom. He locked himself inside and dropped his clean clothes and his travel kit on the toilet. Both hands heavily resting on the sink sill, he took a deep breath, trying to clear up the menacing upcoming blackout that he was starting to feel. He slowly unlocked the door -he didn’t want for Shikamaru to call for help to enter the bathroom if he ever fainted in there- and vigorously splashed some cold water on his face to wake up.</p><p>His ordinary tan face looked incredibly pale and bleak and his tarnished sunny hair volumeless, resting flat on his head like a withered garden. He winced at the sight of such a pathetic man and got in the shower, trying his best to fight the growing dizziness he could feel spreading to his entire body.</p><p> </p><p>If his nausea didn’t kill him before, the food that Kurotsuchi, the current lady Tsuchikage of Iwa, served them at dinner certainly would. Naruto didn’t consider himself a picky eater: after all, eating instant ramen cups was no problem for him and even if pork had his preference, he never complained when his friends or colleagues settled down for another animal at Yakiniku Q. However, as a dedicated follower of the Earth Country’s faith, Kurotsuchi ate exclusively vegetarian and Naruto, who already didn’t feel much like eating before sitting down at the Tsuchikage’s table between Shikamaru and an unfriendly Earth staff in his mid-thirties wearing a red under-shirt, thought that he may throw up upon the unholy sight of the salads, colorful teppanyaki, stir-fried vegetables and kenchinjiru.</p><p>As customary, the two Kages did most of the talking, their staff eating in silence and speaking only when specifically invited to do so. </p><p>“The Earth Daimyo has invited all of the Fire delegation to attend the Super 10s game of the T20 on Friday evening, hasn’t he?” Inquired politely Kurotsuchi before taking another serving of spinach ohitashi. Naruto had no idea what she was talking about. He did remember from their preparatory meetings that on the last night of their stay, they were indeed going to attend a game of whatever sport was popular here, but hadn’t paid much attention to the details. Apart from baseball, he didn’t enjoy watching sports that much and had very little interest in sitting in the heat for 3 hours next to some Earth stone Buddha coldly cheering for a team he didn’t even know the name of.</p><p>Kakashi smiled and gently nodded, and Naruto broke a little smile. The Hokage obviously was as clueless as him and hadn’t caught any of that gibberish.</p><p>He patiently waited for everyone to finish eating and once the plates got emptied, two waiters silently appeared out of nowhere and started clearing the table. Naruto blushed a little when they picked up his plate and cutlery, shiny, clean, and still at the same place as it had been set. Just when the Fire delegation thought dinner was over and that Yamato had begun to get up, the two waiters came back with what looked like a round of desserts.</p><p>He had never had a sweet tooth and, on the rare occasions he would crave sugary food, he would only go for red bean soup. He gave a bleak, sorry smile at Shikamaru whose face was silently scolding him for his dismissive attitude towards the local food, and focused on his empty plate, slightly embarrassed. Fortunately, on the other side of the table, the Hokage was too busy making up for Naruto’s obvious lack of appetite to notice anything. He had set his heart on a plate full of little black and brown sweet thingies that laid between a tray of Rock Mochi and a bowl of green tea bingsu. </p><p>“Mmh, zat iz really good actually”, He mumbled, his mouth filled with the thick consistency of the sweet.</p><p>The Iwa staff chuckled and the Tsuchikage pushed the plate closer to Kakashi, visibly happy at the sight of her prestigious guest enjoying her food that much.</p><p>“It’s called chocolate bonbons” she explained while taking a bit of her fruit salad. “It’s a treat from the other continent that has been quite popular over there for what, the last five years, maybe? Our dessert chef’s assistant actually went to Niederschaeffolsheim to become a classically trained chocolate craftsman, we are quite proud of it.”</p><p>Kakashi nodded, a frown of satisfaction knitting his eyebrows as he enjoyed the bonbon, his eyes vanishing into two thin lines.</p><p>“I had heard of chocolate before but I never had the curiosity to try it. Now I’m furious at myself for missing out. Shizune!” He shot at the woman sitting two seats away from him and who, from the color of her cheeks and her glassy eyes, had a bit too much to drink, “Remind me about this once we get home, we need to include one of those craftsmen to our Food staff. We don’t have any dessert makers back home, you see” he then proceeded to tell Kurotshuchi, who looked quite surprised by the news.</p><p>Naruto leaned against the back of his chair and closed his eyes for a second, not feeling too good. The dizziness was back and both the dinner and the conversation were dragging on. As a matter of fact, he had actually already tried chocolate bonbons before, while on a friendly date with Sakura on an autumn afternoon. She had insisted on taking him to that hyped fancy pastry shop in the new district, where they sold overpriced treats that were way too sweet to his liking, and had made him buy a box of similar said “delicacies”. It had then spent a whole month sitting on his counter at home before finally ending on a table in the staff’s restroom at the office. Now that he thought about it though, they were gone quite fast.<br/>
The Earth Chief of Staff leaned towards Kakashi and Kurotsuchi, a polite smile on his face.</p><p>“Actually, Chef Taiseki’s assistant is from Fire Country. You probably know her father by the way, Hiashi Hyūga, the businessman?”</p><p>The mention of the name Hyūga startled Naruto, who gave a confusing, frowny look at Shikamaru.</p><p>“Hinata?” He mouthed, as his friend discreetly signaled him his approbation. Taken aback by such revelation, his mind wandered away from the dinner table.</p><p>He had never really thought about Hinata after high school -well, apart from that dreadful week after the wedding-, let alone wondered about her way to make a living. For some reason, he would have pictured her doing something artsy, delicately sitting in front of a pound on a warm spring afternoon à la Monet with her watercolors, not slaving her way through a kitchen. That sounded like an environment all too hostile for her fragile nature, and he couldn’t even imagine her dealing with the everyday pressure. </p><p>Come to think of it, maybe Shikamaru was wrong? If he remembered well, Hinata had siblings, so that could be a totally different Hyūga in there.</p><p>The Tsuchikage glanced at their side of the table, picking on their facial expressions, and smiled.</p><p>“Do you happen to know her?” She inquired before grinning at them when they shyly nodded back at her.</p><p>“We went to school with her when we were young”, explained Shikamaru, his tone a little too high to sound perfectly relaxed and natural. Everyone was now looking at them, and Naruto, being white as a sheet and on the brink of collapsing, loved the sudden spotlight. However, the smile of Kurotsuchi only widened and he was surprised to see the previously unfriendly faces of the Earth staff soften around the table.</p><p>“The Ocher House doesn’t employ nearly as many people as you Fire people do, so we’re like a big family and we all know each other. I wished I had known sooner that you were acquaintances of Chef Taiseki’s Assistant, we would have asked then to join us for dessert earlier!” She turned around towards the door that seemingly lead to the kitchens, shouting.</p><p>“Koishi!” She called, one of the two waiters instantly popping his head out the door, “Please fetch me Taiseki and Hyūga, tell them we wish to speak with them”, she ordered nonchalantly. “Also, may you add two extra chairs at the dinner table?” She thanked him and the floating head vanished as quickly as it had appeared. Despite how bad he was feeling, Naruto involuntarily straightened on his seat, the knot in his stomach swelling up almost instantly. And not because of his nausea.</p><p>Hasty footsteps echoed in the distance, and the Koishi waiter jumped out of the service entrance, straight as a ramrod, announcing the two last-minute guests as his colleague rushed to one end of the table to add two chairs, forcing some of the Earth staff to squeeze up. </p><p>Two dark silhouettes entered the room and Naruto held his breath. </p><p>Their eyes instinctively found each other.</p><p>Her breast was squeezed into a white, slim short-sleeved stretch crossover coat with a high V-neck, her loose pants falling over her comfort work shoes and she was sporting what Naruto deemed to be the cutest apron on her waist. Her hair was tight up into a messy bun, her bangs held back by a neckerchief on her head. She looked just as shy as the last time they saw each other but, unlike in the old days, she held his gaze, her eyes clearer than water, like two reflective ponds. A shiver ran down his spine. Time stood still, silent. It was like someone had cast a shadow on everything but them. She’s nothing special, he tried reminding himself, barely a memory of somebody that he used to know. He swallowed with difficulty, a hot flash shaking his feverish and dizzy body. Why was the room so hot all of the sudden?</p><p>Words were spoken and Naruto blinked. He abruptly came back to his senses, awakening from a spell only he had experienced as, on the other side of the table, Hinata and the chef bowed with deference to the Kages and started to engage in a conversation. His body broke out in a cold sweat for a tempest was currently ravaging his stomach, waves urging and crashing on the rocky shore, bubbling and foaming as they receded over and over again. He violently got off his chair, his Earth neighbor so startled that he dropped his spoon out of surprise, and quickly bowed to everyone, his eyes locked on his shoes.</p><p>“My apologies,” he peeped as the storm was working its way to his mouth, “I don’t feel so good.”</p><p>Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Shikamaru initiate a move but before anyone could do or say a word, he was out of the dining room already.</p><p> </p><p>Navigating the Tsuchikage’s building and finding their bedroom as fast as he did was already quite an achievement in itself, but doing so without randomly throwing up on their host’s carpet verged on the miraculous. </p><p>As he shook and sweated over the toilet, cursing his parents for gifting him with such a low tolerance for public transportations, he excoriated himself. As if coming off as rude for not eating the food wasn’t enough, he had to make a total fool of himself in front of everybody by meandering around, looking like a plague victim. </p><p>Why why why why did it have to happen before her eyes? He didn’t really care about the others witnessing such a moment of weakness, but her? They barely knew each other! He let himself fall down backward on his butt and wiped his mouth with the back of his head, fulminating. He felt so humiliated.</p><p>After a moment, he crawled to the door of the bathroom and managed to stand up long enough to reach his bed, letting himself fall on top of the soft mattress, sinking deep into the sheets. He was too tired to take off his clothes or even get under the covers and just stood there still, hugging the bed tight, exhausted.</p><p>What is with him lately? Yes, of course, he was used to feeling like shit after traveling, but not that much. And Hinata… She looked so different downstairs in her uniform, her hair up, her bare forehead making her face look slightly unknown. He barely knew her. He didn’t even know what she did for a living. He felt like he already knew that she lived in Iwagakure, but he couldn’t swear it. He could probably count on two hands the stuff he knew about her. She had been part of the high school friends’ circle for ages and just the idea of getting to know her better had never crossed his mind. So, why was this simple fact making him feel so… Sad?</p><p>He growled in his pillow, unable to come up with a satisfying answer. It wasn't like they were going to cross paths anytime soon again. She lived in Iwa. His life was in Konoha. Why bother about someone so far away, he thought, his heart sinking in his stomach as he fully realized the implications of their geographic localization. He breathed harder in his pillow and, defeated, let the fog that was assaulting the gates of his mind in, relinquishing himself to the welcomed, numbing darkness.</p><p> </p><p>The mechanical click of the door. Someone entering the room with a magnetic key. Footsteps. Hums and whispers. </p><p>“Arf, he didn’t even bother undressing or getting in bed properly, he must really be sick”, said a voice with an annoyed tone.</p><p>Footsteps getting closer, followed by the sound of a zipper. The opening of a bag? Someone rummaging through stuff.</p><p>“Ah, here it is.”</p><p>“Thank you so much, Shikamaru, it was really nice of you to bring it for me, Hanabi loves those and we cannot find them anywhere here.”</p><p>Another voice, warm and sweet, that tingles his spin.</p><p>“No big deal.”</p><p>“Where should I drop this?”</p><p>“Wait for a sec, I’ll just wake him up.”</p><p>A mass dropped on the bed next to him and the characteristic smell of tobacco finally hit his nose. Shikamaru sharply shook his shoulder to wake him up, his patience running low.</p><p>“Come on Naruto, wake up!” He instructed him with a dictatorial tone, “We have a guest.”</p><p>Naruto abruptly opened his eyes, blinking at the electrical lighting of the room that burnt his retinas. He moaned before turning around, Shikamaru finally showing up in his field of vision, sitting at the bottom of his bed. His friend lazily pointed at something with his head, and Naruto’s glare slowly rotated towards the head of the bed as he tried his best to disperse the clouds in his mind. His eyes caught onto the royal blue of her hair and he closed them, pinching his lips together into a thin line. </p><p><em>No no no no no</em> screamed frantically his waking mind, <em>she cannot see me like this, not her…</em></p><p>“Naruto?” She asked, a pinch of… concern in her voice? “Naruto, it’s Hinata.”</p><p>Like he didn’t know that already. Like every cell of his body wasn’t painfully aware of it.</p><p>“I-I… Shikamaru told me that you had nothing to eat for dinner so I got my colleague to make you veggie broth… It’s not much but it’s light on the stomach and should help you feel a lot better, ok? I’m leaving it on your nightstand.”</p><p>… Wait, what? </p><p>Did she really discuss his state with Shikamaru and then… Ordered a special meal, just for him? That she bothered to deliver in person? The tableware clinked in his ears as she delicately dropped a tray on his nightstand. On the other end of the bed, he could feel Shikamaru getting up.</p><p>“Hinata” yawned his friend, apathetic as always, “I’m gonna go for a quick smoke outside. Thank you for dropping by and see you next time, hum?”</p><p>He heard the creasing of two fabrics that you rub against one another, followed by a light hum. Were they hugging?</p><p>“Take care” said Shikamaru, breaking their embrace, before adding “And you, eat your broth while it’s still hot!” in a way harsher tone. Naruto didn’t say a thing, he just listened to Shikamaru’s dragging feet fade away before disappearing completely in the wake of the smash of the door. Silence came back, heavy, awkward. He finally heard the crumpling of <em>her</em> clothes and felt her presence, closer than before, above him. Was she checking if he was asleep? Probably, as he felt her move away and murmur “I’ll be on my way now. Farewell.” before taking a step towards the door.</p><p>She squeaked as he grabbed her wrist and her liquid stare slid on him, her surprised look trying to assess his state. He quickly let go of her, red breaking on his face as he realized what he had just done. As soon as she had said that she was going to leave, his body instinctively got in motion to stop her. </p><p>For real, what was with him tonight?</p><p>“Hum, can you, perhaps, stay a little longer?” he finally mumbled, words having a hard time forming in his mouth. He slowly laid back down without breaking eye contact with her, waiting for her answer as her core still faced the door. After what felt like an eternity, she shyly smiles, nodding her head gently.</p><p>It was like a weight he didn’t even realize was there in the first place had suddenly been lifted up from his chest and he took a big breath as he sank in the bed, his body a bit more relaxed. She carefully sat on the edge of the bed, her back and shoulders straight, her hands resting in an unnatural position on her laps.</p><p>“W-would you like some broth maybe?” She tried, her eyes avoiding his on purpose.</p><p>He shook his head, unable to do anything else than staring at her face, detailing her features. She wasn’t attractive, god no, with such delicate, milky skin complexion and incredible deep blue hair that made her look like a human porcelain vase. He blinked. No, he didn’t find her anything special, <em>couldn’t</em> find her anything special, they grew up in the same circle and they barely knew each other and she lived so far away…</p><p>He noticed that he was panting, his heart pumping like crazy in his chest. Hinata must have felt that something was wrong, for she all of the sudden locked eyes with him and instinctively leaned towards him, worried. She raised an arm as if she was going to touch his forehead to check his temperature, but stopped midway in the air, realizing the line she was about to cross. Her cheeks blossomed and for a reason he couldn’t explain, Naruto thought it was the cutest thing he had ever seen. </p><p>They stood there, still, staring at one another, losing themself in the other’s eyes. Their pantings became more audible as the air around them thickened, tension and electricity running through their body. </p><p>That was it. That feeling, that vibe, that mood, whatever it was called, that was what he had experienced on the dancefloor that night, an unknown sensation he thought he would never feel again and that made his blood rush through his veins, his stomach knot and his heart stop. This feeling. It was almost like an out-of-body experience, like his soul had left his body and that he was witnessing the scene from a corner of the room. His center of gravity had switched, and it felt like everything, in this very moment, revolved around this teeny tiny, frail woman that stood next to him.</p><p>Naruto clang onto the moment, wishing for it to never end. He felt like he could get high from it and it baffled him that such an ordinary person that he had known for two-thirds of his life could invoke such intoxicating biochemical reactions by her mere presence.</p><p>How much time had passed? Naruto couldn’t tell for sure. It felt like hours, decades, centuries, but Shikamaru hadn’t come back from his walk yet so it couldn’t have been that long. Her smile broke the spell, freeing him from her unfathomable lavender eyes and he groaned, nausea kicking in again with full force. He frowned with pain and Hinata lightly touched his forearm, noticeable anxiety on her face. </p><p>“Are you still feeling nauseous?” She asked quietly, the sensation of her cool hand on his burning body startling him. He looked at her with wide-opened eyes for a second, then nodded, bashful. He felt like a little sick boy being taken care of by his mother on a cold winter day -not that he had ever experienced anything remotely close to that. She knitted her brow, pouting, a strict expression on her face.</p><p>“You aren’t taking care of yourself properly”, she opined harshly. Was she… Lecturing him? Hinata? Shy Hinata? Him??</p><p>She let out a disapproving sigh and offered him her hand. Naruto blinked at her, not quite certain about her intentions and what she wanted from him. </p><p>“Give me your hand”, she instructed him, gently but firmly. “I’m going to massage it, it should help with nausea.”</p><p>Naruto raised a shy hand, dropping it in Hinata’s way smaller one, disconcerted by the situation, his shoulders tensing again. Hinata had a little chuckle.</p><p>“Don’t be so stressed out”, she told him, her voice like pure crystal to his ears. ”I won’t hurt you, I promise.”</p><p>He nodded and just laid down on his bed, watching her conscientiously start massaging his knuckles. He let out a sigh of relief. It actually felt nice.</p><p>“I didn’t know you worked for the Tsuchikage” he mentioned, breaking the silence.</p><p>“I didn’t know you worked directly under the Hokage” she answered, her frowny eyes not leaving his hand. "Directly under the Hokage". Implying that, unlike him, she knew what he did for a living.</p><p>“I didn’t know you were a pastry chef either”, he confessed, trying to keep the conversation going.</p><p>“I’m not. I’m a <em>Maître Chocolatier</em>.”</p><p>“Oh. And what’s that?”</p><p>“I make chocolate desserts and chocolate fillings for pastries, but not the pastries themselves. That’s my Chef’s thing.”</p><p>“Oh ok, I see.”</p><p>He had no idea that dessert makers had specialties. Actually, he had no idea what exactly a pastry was or what a pastry chef did, as all these concepts just fell under the “too-sweet-and-fancy-for-me” food category in his mind. </p><p>“And you learned how to do that… On the other continent?” He asked her, unsure, as she pressed harder into his palm.</p><p>“Yes”, she smiled, her eyes immediately traveling to some faraway land for a second, as she seemed to remember some long-forgotten memories, before massaging his hand again. “I studied at a culinary institute in Fontenille-Saint-Martin-d'Entraigues, near Niederschaeffolsheim, in Gaspesia.”</p><p>His eyes squint at the incomprehensible sounds that came out of her mouth. What did she even say? </p><p>He had little to basically no knowledge at all of the nations from across the ocean, on the other continent. Here, even if the vocabulary, manners and traditions varied from one country to the other, he knew he could always latch onto something, an element that reminded him of his Fire culture. Even the people actually looked quite similar. Sure, you could guess by the pigmentation of the skin, the shape of the face and of the eyes, the way someone talked which country they originated from, but other than that, he felt like every nation shared common roots, common stories, common beliefs, that transcended their different upbringings. That was not the case with those over the sea people. </p><p>Sure, he knew very little of them, but he still knew some stuff. Like the fact that they spoke multiple different languages or that they looked nothing like them. Their food was incredibly different, just like their buildings or their clothing, and to think that she had spent two years in such a hostile environment made him feel sad for her. And actually, also made her look kind of… <em>cool</em>.</p><p>“Shikamaru told me that you didn’t like the food that got served tonight. Is there anything special you’d like to have tomorrow? I can try telling my colleagues about it.”</p><p>She was way too nice to him. </p><p>“Pork ramen, please”, he asks without hesitation, whiny.</p><p>Hinata chuckled as she kept going, promising him that she would do her best.</p><p>“Don’t you have to go home?” He had no idea how long he had slept or what time it was, but a quick glance at the dark window indicated that it was probably the middle of the night. She shook her head gently.</p><p>“It’s alright”, she reassured him. “I’m on breakfast duty so I just have to head back to the kitchen before 4.30 am and I should be good.”</p><p>Naruto frowned at that last sentence. Wasn’t she planning on getting any sleep?</p><p>“Do you mind if I also massage your forearm?” She timidly asked, her eyes flitting around self-consciously as she revolved back to her regular self, the Hinata he had always known. He gave her a grin and closed his eyes, enjoying the soft pressure and pulls of her hand on his arm. It felt really good. His nausea soon began to slowly retreat, leaving him hollow and exhausted, darkness assaulting his mind as he fought to stay awake.</p><p>“Hi… Hinata” he mumbled, on the verge of passing out from exhaustion.</p><p>She hummed to signal him she was listening, as she kept working on his arm.</p><p>“Did we, at the wedding…” He tried, the fog in his mind making it harder and harder to focus. He had to know, he had to be sure, he had to ask her. </p><p>He never heard the answer. He didn’t even hear if she answered or not. As soon as the last breath of air exited his mouth, he blacked out, vanquished.</p><p>“Hinata, at the wedding, when we shared that last dance… Did we… have a moment?”</p><p> </p><p>The next morning, Shikamaru’s alarm violently woke the boys up and they both had the hardest time getting ready. Naruto noticed that the bowl of broth was gone, and he wondered if this was Hinata’s doing. He didn’t remember much of their conversation and, the harder he tried to piece together the random memories that were floating around his mind, the harder it was to grasp them. He scratched his trimmed hair, baffled, and stared at Shikamaru who was trying to put on his pants.</p><p>“I don’t remember you coming back from your smoke last night”, he observed, suddenly curious regarding the whereabouts of his goateed friend.</p><p>“Ah yeah, I actually spent quite some time downstairs on the phone with Tem, sorry.” </p><p>The day felt long and tedious, although Naruto was feeling way better than he did on the night before. They spent most of their time locked in a conference room with Yamato and Shizune, preparing the lord Hokage’s next appointments for the upcoming days while Kakashi discussed military policies and international cooperation with the Tsuchikage in her office. They would only spend one more night at the Tsuchikage headquarters, before leaving their host the next morning to join the rest of the Fire delegation at some fancy hotel somewhere uptown. </p><p>“What’s that gap in Master Kakashi’s agenda tomorrow afternoon for?” Asked Naruto as he was reviewing the Hokage’s detailed planning for the week. “It wasn’t there yesterday, as far as I know.”</p><p>Shikamaru slid next to him to check what Naruto was talking about, apparently as confused as he was.</p><p>“Oh yes, we had to make a last-minute change to tomorrow’s planning”, explained Shizune without taking her eyes off the report she was reading. “Hiashi Hyūga personally called the lord Hokage this morning to ask for an appointment. We are meeting with him at his place tomorrow… Master Kakashi and I aren’t too thrilled about it, but he can be a big donor when he wants to so we have to listen to what he has to say.”</p><p>Shikamaru and Naruto exchanged a look full of questions. What could Hiashi Hyūga possibly want from Kakashi and Konoha? Hadn’t he left the city long ago already? Unfortunately for them, neither Shizune nor Yamato seemed to have more information or insight on the situation, and they focused back on their work.</p><p>Night came, and the dreaded dinner time with it. Dragging his feet along the way, an obvious pout on his face, Naruto took his place again between Shikamaru and the unpleasant Earth assistant from last night, his stomach screaming for some food. He couldn’t wait to get back to their room so he could have some more of that instant ramen that he had brought with him for the trip.</p><p>The Koishi guy that was serving the food the day before was waiting on them again tonight, something that wasn’t usual at the Hokages’ Palace, and Naruto vaguely remembered Kurotsuchi saying something about the Earth staff being way smaller. Various dishes were brought to the table, a display of the country’s culinary diversity obviously for their high profile guests. To think that he wasn’t going to even have one bit…</p><p>“And here’s some pork ramen for our blond Fire guest”, politely announced Koishi as he dropped a smoking bowl in front of Naruto, catching him off guard. Everyone suddenly looked at him and he could feel his neck irradiate from the unwanted attention. Koishi gave him a little bow as he took a step back, and smiled.</p><p>“Apparently, you told one of the kitchen staff that you didn’t feel like having anything else, so our Chef made this dish especially for you. Don’t be too harsh on her though, meat isn’t something she works a lot with”, he told him, before vanishing by the service door.</p><p>Naruto looked at his plate, his eyes blinking like crazy, a dumbfounded expression on his face. He couldn’t believe it. Did… Did Hinata do that for him?</p><p>“Oh, Mister Uzumaki!” Shouted the Tsuchikage like a child in front of their favorite kids show, “Our Chef Kudo never cooks meat, you must really be something special!”</p><p>She shared a chuckle with her Chief of Staff and the rest of the dinner guests forgot about him to focus on the food, with the obvious goal of filling their stomachs as much as they could. Naruto, for his part, was too busy inhaling the delicious vapors of the ramen to care about anyone or anything else. A gigantic grin on his face, he dived his chopsticks into the bowl, fishing for some noodles. On his left side, Shikamaru gave him a disapproving look while grabbing some kimchi mandu. </p><p>“I cannot believe you had Hinata harass her colleagues for some ramen” he hissed between his teeth.</p><p>“I didn’t ask her anything!” He vigorously protested as he slurped a noodle, feeling the energy coming back to his body. Shikamaru rolled his eyes at him, but Naruto chose to ignore him and concentrate on something more positive -a.k.a. the ramen.</p><p>The dinner went by without any hitches and sooner than later, both staffs leaving the room in a carefree chatter. As they passed by the service door though, Shikamaru stopped Naruto, pointing at the entrance.</p><p>“You may want to thank them; after all, they cooked those ramen just for you, I’m sure they would like to know you enjoyed them.”</p><p>Naruto energetically nodded, a determined smile on his face. Even if the ramen wasn’t that great -especially compared to the ones from Ichiraku’s-, they had been a blessing for his starving stomach and he owed it to the staff to thank them properly.</p><p>“Go ahead then, I’ll catch up with you later!” He said with a grin before knocking on the door. Shikamaru lazily waved his hand at him and exited the dining room, leaving Naruto to wait alone. Soon enough, he heard some hasty footsteps and the Koishi waiter opened the room, surprised to see him.</p><p>“May I help you?” He inquired, a hint of stress noticeable in his voice.</p><p>Naruto scratched the back of his neck, not totally confident.</p><p>“Hum, yes, I would like to talk to, Hinata” he faltered. “Please.”</p><p>“Which one? Cause we have like, three of them working in the kitchen right now.”</p><p>“Oh, hum, Hyūga Hinata?”</p><p>The waiter signaled his agreement with a nod of the head and looked over his shoulder, towards the depths of the kitchen from which various clinking and metallic sounds arose.</p><p>“Hey, Kudo! Is Hyūga in there?”</p><p>A woman in her thirties poked her head out of the door at the other end of the short corridor leading to the kitchen, sauce all over her apron and chef jacket. </p><p>“Hey, Watanabe!” She yelled in turn like no one on the Earth staff knew how to use their legs to go check on people themselves, “Is Hyūga available?”</p><p>“Why, who’s asking?” Echoed another feminine voice in the distance.</p><p>“Who is he?” Asked the Chef Kudo to Koishi. <em>I’m right there in front of you</em>, thought Naruto, but he decided it was probably wiser to stay clear from this loud crowd.</p><p>“Who are you?” Asked the waiter naively without noticing Naruto’s blasé expression.</p><p>“I’m a friend of hers” he lied, focusing on keeping a straight face as much as possible. “My name’s Naruto and-”</p><p>“He’s a friend of hers” notified the waiter without even letting him finish. His colleague stood still for a moment, her head bouncing back and forth, before repeating loud and clear “A friend of hers!” to the unseen kitchen staff. Naruto suddenly heard hasty footsteps and a second woman showed up, sauced up from the top of her head to her waist down. What was going on in this kitchen?</p><p>The third woman, smaller than her colleagues, silently checked him out, judging him from head to toe and he blushed hard, suddenly feeling incredibly self-conscious.  A big grin appeared on her face, before she notified them all that Hinata had actually fallen asleep in the pantry.</p><p>“Is it really important? I can go wake her up if it is”, she offered politely. Naruto shook his head and rubbed his neck, his guilt-ridden guts acting up. She had barely gotten any sleep because of him last night and now, she was reduced to sleeping with the cabbage by his fault?</p><p>He apologized for the disruption and was ready to leave when he backtracked, remembering what Shikamaru had said to him about the ramen.</p><p>“Excuse-me but, could you tell the chef who did the ramen that I’m really grateful for it?”</p><p>The three colleagues immediately looked at one another with extreme rapture, their mouths silently screaming as they giggled like high schoolers. Naruto felt more and more uneasy. He was obviously the butt of some joke and he couldn’t wait to run out on them to his bed and the unbothered Shikamaru. The woman who answered to Kudo chuckled while looking at him, her hand trying to cover the grin on her face.</p><p>“So <em>you</em> are the ramen guy! Well, well, well, I now understand why Hyūga was so insistent on getting you a custom dish! Hope you enjoyed the food, it was a first for me” she added, visibly way too entertained by the situation. Naruto awkwardly bowed to thank her and quickly mumbled a “good night” before rushing to the door, the laughter of the three Earth staff still ringing in his ears. He crossed the door with an undisclosed relief, but unfortunately for him, not before hearing a totally inappropriate “What a beefcake” from one of the women. He instinctively crossed his arms over his chest like to stop them from checking his torso, and pulled a face. He actually felt quite offended to be treated like a piece of meat and he couldn’t believe someone as sweet and innocent as Hinata was working with such horny animals. He quickly got back to his bedroom, his bad mood sticking with him, and angrily went to bed, happy to know that they were leaving this living hell on the next day and totally oblivious to his friend arguing over the phone with his precious “Tem”.</p><p> </p><p>It was around 14:45 p.m. when the chauffeured car that he shared with Shikamaru pulled in front of the Hyūga compound in Iwagakure. As the boys got out of the car, Naruto tried to tone down his amazement as much as he could. </p><p>The sukiya-style residence was huge. Its natural materials looked way too sumptuous and well cared for the visitors to even doubt that they were entering a rich man’s house. The lord Hokage got out of another car, followed by Shizune and Yamato, and all gathered before the gate, waiting for someone to come and open them. </p><p>A middle-aged man, who must have been in his mid-fifties almost, calmly walked toward them to open the gate, bowing down to the Hokage as the guests entered a beautiful Japanese garden. He then proceeded to lead them inside the house and into a spacious -though stern and Spartan- room, inviting them to make themselves comfortable as they waited. Naruto sat down on the tatami mat with his colleagues and he scrutinized each of their faces, hoping for them to feel as impressed by this place as he was, but none of them looked quite as overwhelmed as him. </p><p>The muted atmosphere that reigned on the compound, the low voices, the sounds swollen by the tatami, the stern and delicate furniture and decoration, everything here made him feel extremely out of place, like it wanted him to be reminded of his lower condition at all times. He suddenly realized that that was the place where Hinata had spent years living, where she may be even still living, and for the first time, he became aware of their different social status. By the by, now that he thought of it, how come she had studied in their mid-range high school and not in one of those private institutes where rich kids could avoid commoners like him? Seeing this place, he strongly doubted that the Hyūga lived any differently back in Konoha.</p><p>After a couple of minutes of them waiting in perfect silence, a stern expression on Kakashi’s face that Naruto had barely ever seen him sport, the Hyūga man came back for the Hokage. It was time. </p><p>They all mouthed a silent “good luck” to their leader as he disappeared behind a sliding door, and the tension in the room cranked up a notch. No one knew what Hiashi Hyūga wanted to discuss with the lord Hokage but, for him to ask personally for a private meeting, it had to be important. Moreover, no matter what he wanted, they couldn’t risk vexing him by fear of losing a precious economical support. The situation was incredibly tense.</p><p>In the corner of his eye, Naruto saw Shikamaru stressfully scratch his goatee. He knew it meant his friend was longing for a smoke and he felt bad for him as they were probably going to be left waiting in there for at least a couple of hours. He let out a big sigh as he threw his head back, before deciding that laying on the floor would probably be the best thing to do. If they were to wait hours in the stern room in silence, he might as well get comfortable and take a nap. He heard Yamato’s disapproving tusk but with no one verbally expressing their disapproval, he looked past it and settled on the warm tatami. </p><p>Probably because his ears were so close to the ground, he was the first one to hear incoming footsteps and to look at the door, anxious. </p><p>“The Chief of Staff and Miss Katō may join lord Hiashi and lord Hokage”, announced politely the Hyūga butler.</p><p>They both agreed, a serious and knowing look on their face, and stressfully followed the man outside of the room.</p><p>As they both laid down on the matted floor, Shikamaru and Naruto anxiously ventured hypotheses about the content of the meeting and whether or not they could get Hiashi Hyūga to pay up for Konoha’s latest social program.</p><p>The wooden and paper door slid abruptly, the boys violently shuddering, and a young woman with a gleeful face and long, brown hair, stepped inside the room. Naruto sat up and his eyes met hers, two unclouded lavender skies enlightened by a big smile. </p><p>It had to be <em>her</em> sister.</p><p>She was wearing what seemed to be a traditional formal dress that he had never seen before and looked nothing like the kimonos and yukatas Fire people would usually sport. Her large skirt was a vibrant, silky pink and her top looked like some kind of very short white vest with long sleeves, closed by a matching pink ribbon. Hinata’s sister grinned as she noticed Shikamaru, and closed the door behind her.</p><p>She gathered her skirt and rushed to sit next to him, passing Naruto so fast that she hit him in the face with her train.</p><p>“Shikamaru! Long time no see?” </p><p>Shikamaru broke into a polite smile, greeting her like an old acquaintance. Naruto’s jaw fell wide open and, for a second, he couldn’t hide a bewildered look on his face. How could Shikamaru and Hinata’s sister know one another? </p><p>Finally noticing him after what felt like a quick catch-up, the young woman turned around and offered Naruto her hand. Still under the shock, it took him quite some time to realize what she expected from him and their handshake felt more than a little lukewarm. </p><p>She gave him a sunny smile, introducing herself politely. “My name is Hanabi Hyūga. I am lord Hiashi Hyūga’s youngest daughter. It is my pleasure to make your acquaintance.”</p><p>So he was right, she was Hinata’s sibling. And she could be really formal when she wanted to.</p><p>“My name is Naruto Uzumaki” he awkwardly replied, rubbing his neck nervously. Feeling some tension, Shikamaru swiftly came to rescue, moving the conversation onto another topic.</p><p>“Hey Hanabi, do you have any idea why lord Hiashi wanted to see the Hokage?” </p><p>Hanabi innocently nodded, before breaking into what Naruto could only describe as an evil grin.</p><p>“Of course” she answered, sounding way too contented with herself. “He’s meeting him because of me.”</p><p>Shikamaru raised an eyebrow and Hanabi completely turned around to face him, generously offering Naruto a sight of her back, excluding him from the conversation. He frowned. He had a weird sensation about this entire situation: Shikamaru and Hanabi seemed weirdly familiar with one another, and he couldn’t fathom why.</p><p>“I’m supposed to do an internship at the end of my uni year” she developed, talking about it like it should be common knowledge for everyone. “I was going to do it here at one of my father’s companies, but I fell for Konoha so hard during my last March holiday over there that I had been begging my dad to let me do it over there instead. Up until now, he had refused, saying it wasn’t safe enough for me to go there, so when Hinata told me two days ago that the Hokage was in town, I suggested doing my internship for him, and my father finally accepted. After all, what place could be safer than the Hokages’ Palace?”</p><p>Naruto and Shikamaru both blinked their eyes in silence, blindsided by her tranquil entitlement. She had decided only two days ago that she would be doing her internship with the Hokage. Had her daddy call Kakashi on his personal cell phone. Arranged for them to come here, no matter how busy their schedule was. And the most outrageous thing was that she was one hundred percent going to have it her way. What kind of scandalous nepotism was that?</p><p>He had never felt Hinata was that rich or privileged in high school, but Naruto suddenly got a feeling that, had he been with Hanabi instead, she would have never passed a chance to remind him of it. On the other side of the room, Shikamaru still looked incredibly stunned by her blissful brazenness. To think that the both of them had to move heaven and earth to get an internship, and then get hired by the Hokage… The Hyūgas were definitely on another level. </p><p>“So, are you going to meet the Hokage, at least?” Asked Shikamaru, his voice sharper than usual. Naruto could tell it was a bitter pill to swallow for him as well. Hanabi innocently nodded, displaying her formal outfit. “Of course”, blanch Shikamaru, his eyes still bulging. The silence came back, even heavier than before -something he didn’t think could be possible. He scratched his hair with both hands. He had to come up with something to break the tension, otherwise, they would never survive the upcoming hours in this suffocating room.</p><p>“Tell me Hanabi”, he said, louder than he intended, “How come you and Shikamaru know each other?”</p><p>Hanabi quickly turned around, a surprised smile on her face.</p><p>“Shikamaru? He’s a friend of my sister’s!” She gleefully answered, Shikamaru slightly blushing behind her, his eyes quickly focused on the ceiling. </p><p>“Say what?”</p><p>Astounded, Naruto looked at Shikamaru who was still avoiding his intense stare. Friends? No, that couldn’t be. Shikamaru and him were friends. Shikamaru and Sakura were friends. Shikamaru and Sai were friends. Shikamaru and Ino were friends. Shikamaru and Hinata? She hadn’t even attended one single of their high school parties or weekends in years! He never heard him mention her name! How could they be friends?</p><p>Naruto opened his mouth to talk, but the sliding door opening behind him interrupted him before he could get any sound out. The man from before respectfully stepped inside the room, bowing.</p><p>“Miss Hanabi, lord Hiashi would like to speak with you.”</p><p>“Seems like it’s my turn!” She announced while gracefully getting up. She bowed at Naruto politely, before waving at Shikamaru. “See you next time, Shikamaru! And thank you again for the dango!” </p><p>And she disappeared in the hallway, a tornado of white and pink and sunny youth. Shikamaru hawked, obviously embarrassed by Hanabi’s claims. Naruto sat closer to him, straighter than before, a big suspicious frown on his face.</p><p>“What was that all about?” He asked, a hint of blame in his voice. “Since when are Hinata and you friends? And how come do you seem to be sooo comfortable around her sister?”</p><p>Shikamaru gave him a side glance and sighed, tusking at him, obviously annoyed by the conversation.</p><p>“I just happened to visit Hinata a few times before with Sakura and Ino, it’s no big deal. And we stayed here, so of course, I met her sister. Really, it’s no big deal, Naruto. Don’t put too much thought into it, Hanabi is young and overenthusiastic about everything.”</p><p>“When was the last time you ‘happened to visit her’, exactly?” He pressed back, his voice sounding more and more harsh, even to himself.</p><p>Shikamaru locked eyes with him. “Last September, when we came for the finals of Tenten’s Earth Open.”</p><p>Naruto tilted his head to the side, thinking hard. Last September, last September…</p><p>“But, I thought you were on a long weekend with Temari?”</p><p>“Temari was with us. I just never specified it wasn’t only the two of us.”</p><p>His blood was pumping hard in his chest and he could feel rage and incomprehension mixing in his brain. So, his friends were all meeting together with Hinata behind his back. Cool. Cool cool cool cool cool.</p><p>“Why was I the only one not invited? Cause I bet Kiba and Shino were, considering how close they are with Hinata. And Sai as well, cause wherever Ino goes, he follows. And why keep it a secret? Were you guys fearing that I would throw a tantrum like a child or something?”</p><p>Which he actually was, indeed. Shikamaru rolled his eyes at him. He had had enough for now, Naruto could tell. </p><p>“Naruto, this is none of my business. You want some answers, you ask Sakura or Hinata, not me.”</p><p>And with this, laid back down on the tatami, facing away from Naruto, very subtly signaling him that their conversation was over.</p><p>Naruto stood still for a long moment, racking his brains. He was being irrational. His friends were allowed to hang out with people he didn’t know, he didn’t have an exclusivity contract over them or something. And it was their right to not tell him everything about their lives. And he didn’t care <em>at all</em> that Hinata had stayed in touch with basically everyone but him.</p><p>No, everything was cool. Cool cool cool cool cool.</p><p>Time slowly picked up its course and after what felt like an eternity, numerous, loud footsteps echoed in the hallway, signaling them that the meeting was over. The boys got up and eagerly greeted Kakashi, Yamato and Shizune, impatient to learn the ins and outs of their meeting with the Hyūga tycoon.</p><p>As expected, the lord Hokage couldn’t refuse Hiashi Hyūga the favor of taking in his daughter for an internship -that thought almost made Naruto choke-, assuring him that she would be looked after 24/7. Nonetheless, the businessman wasn’t indifferent to Kakashi’s effort and, with the help and negotiating skills of Shizune and Yamato, the Hokage had managed to secure quite a hefty donation for a mental health care program aimed at children that the team had been working on for months. Silver lining.</p><p> </p><p>The rest of their trip went pretty smoothly after that day, with Kakashi and the Fire Daimyo shaking a lot of hands and them, organizing everything in the shadows. On their last day, they attended the mysterious game the Earth daimyo had invited them to, which turned out to be cricket. Not interested in such a lame sport, Naruto quickly fell asleep on Shikamaru’s shoulder at the beginning of the match, drooling abundantly for three hours and, before they knew it, they were on their way back to Konoha.</p><p>“I’m glad to go home!” Exulted Shizune as their private plane took off. “Iwagakure is way too hot for me.”</p><p>The others hummed their approval, exhausted from the trip. </p><p>Naruto cast a glance out of the window, the airport and the city rapidly vanishing in the clouds before his eyes. He was glad to go home, indeed. So many things had occurred in the last five days and he couldn’t wait to get back to his daily routine and bury himself in work to stop thinking about all his tangled emotions. He now knew that what he had felt back then with Hinata on the wedding night was no accident, and he just wanted to leave this embarrassing episode of his life behind and forget about it. </p><p>“Who would have thought that all it took to get the stingy Hiashi Hyūga to open his wallet was to hire his daughters”, pointed out Kakashi, a hint of sarcasm in his voice.</p><p>Shikamaru raised an eyebrow.</p><p>“Daughters?” he asked, stressing on the final "s", doubtful. </p><p>Yamato gave him a nod of the head.</p><p>“Yeah, he didn’t feel at peace sending his youngest to Konohagakure alone, so he demanded if his oldest could tag along for the time of the internship. The Tsuchikage was ok to transfer her temporarily and since we don’t have any dessert maker on our kitchen staff, we thought ‘what's the harm’...”</p><p>A painful groan coming from the back seat startled the Hokage staff and they all turned around to witness Naruto, his head tilted back banging against his headrest, defeated.</p><p>He literally could hear trouble coming his way. And her name was Hyūga.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Woah, I know I said at the end of the last chapter that I wouldn't try to cram the next one with too many details but here we go again I guess?</p><p>Writing from Naruto's point of view turned out surprisingly challenging, and I don't know if I did such a great job conveying his inner turmoil and global obliviousness regarding his relationship with Hinata, but what is done is done!</p><p>I also love how I first thought "Oh, this chapter is going to be so short compared the first one" and it actually ended up being even longer! I guess I got carried away at some point ahah</p><p>Anyways, thank you so much for making it til the end again, and see you next time for some more Hinata adventures!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. Free meal</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Hi everyone! </p><p>I'm back again with a new chapter that proved itself a real pain in the rear to write! I wasn't satisfied with the way I had articulated it and actually had to rewrite quite a hefty amount of it... What a bummer. </p><p>This chapter opens with a quite detailed description of how to make chocolate bonbons and I apologize in advance for that, as it may not be that easy to read. My mother's hobby is making pastries and confections and, as someone who has come to assist her many times in their youth, I can tell you working with chocolate ain't no joke! You have to handle it with extreme care and precision, and always keep an eye on your environment for the room temperature can actually affect it. Chocolate craftsmanship is incredibly delicate and unforgiving, and I thought it suited Hinata's personality better than more traditional baking.</p><p>Anyway, this chapter written is from Hinata's point of view, so enjoy the plot ^_^</p><p> </p><p>
  <i>[08/01/21: Minor editing to correct typos and fix the formatting]</i>
</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Hinata took a deep breath, and slowly breathed out while throwing her head back, releasing the tension that was building up in her body. She was ready.</p><p>She grabbed one of her two long and thin plastic bars and, collecting a little bit of the tempered chocolate with her kitchen thermometer, quickly applied three little strips of chocolate on the middle and the ends of the bar. She then proceeded to glue the bar down onto the baking paper covering her marbled table, and repeated the exercise with the other bar. Doing this wasn’t necessarily a common practice among chocolate craftsmen, but it would surely make her job easier down the road for when she would put her chocolate molds onto the bars, they wouldn’t move all over.</p><p>Moving on to the next step, she grabbed her first clean mold and started to fill the holes up with her tempered chocolate, generously pouring the viscous texture with a small ladle. After taping on the edges of her mold with her spatula, she then proceeded to scrape the excess of chocolate back into her tempering machine, before turning the mold upside down above to extract the liquid chocolate, taping on the mold firmly with her spatula while keeping it as level as possible, before scraping the excess again. The mold still upside down, she then put it down over the plastic bars to allow the chocolate to come out, thus creating a nice, delicate shell for her molded bonbon later on.</p><p>She repeated the entire sequence twice with two other molds, focusing as much as possible on the task at hand, the world and sounds vanishing around her like she was surrounded by thick, invisible walls.</p><p>Once her three molds done, she grabbed the first one again. Little droplets of chocolate fell onto the baking sheet as she tried her best not to wiggle it too much and scrapped for the last time the excess of chocolate, this time in an empty bowl. Colder chocolate, if mixed with the tempered one, could create lumps in her smooth mixture and she didn’t want any of that. She turned the mold back upside down and dropped it on the table, this time to allow the chocolate set back in to obtain a nice angled shell.</p><p>It took her a couple of minutes extra to take care of the other molds and when she was finished, she quickly eye-checked if everything looked fine and harmonious before moving on to the actual filling of the bonbon. She tested the temperature of her piped orange chocolate ganache. 29° Celsius. She started filling the ganache carefully. </p><p>One drop on the side of the mold and it would be impossible for her to seal the bonbon later on. She let out a little sigh of relief as she completed the third and last mold and, as she dropped it back on the table, gave it a little tap to allow the ganache to relax and become flat.</p><p>Now, she needed to wait 24 hours for the ganache to crystalize. </p><p>As she leaned on the side of the table, anxiety hit her with full force again and she suddenly became all too aware of her environment, as if her brain had turned the sound back on. The Tsuchikage’s kitchen was full of people rushing around, screaming orders at one another, talking, joking, cutting vegetables and cleaning dishes, and it always fascinated her how her brain would just manage to block all that parasite activity to let her focus solely on her work.</p><p>Next to her, tall, skinny, a stern façade hiding an ocean of kindness inside, Chef Taiseki stopped his timer, the shadow of an approving smile on his face. </p><p>“You went faster than last time and your technique was good,” he assessed as Hinata drank his every word, transfixed. “Try to limit any non-essential move or look that could lead you to lose time and focus. Remember, you’ll still have to decorate the molds first and to make your ganache and your tempering beforehand on the day of the competition.”</p><p>Hinata frantically shook her hand to signal her approbation. </p><p>“I really need to practice my sealing tomorrow,” she commented, more for herself than for her Chef, while looking down at the floor. “That’s the part where I’m always dragging.”</p><p>Chef Taiseki broke a gentle smile and patted her shoulder. She shyly raised her head and their eyes met, his reassuring look soothing her distress slightly. She pinched her lips into a thin line, tears forming at the corners of her eyes.</p><p>“Don’t you worry about that”, he reassured her, oblivious to her sudden change of mood, “You will have two commis chefs with you in the laboratory for the exam. I know it’s scary to rely on strangers but the chosen students are really competent and…</p><p>“Chef Taiseki...” She lamented as huge tears ran down her cheeks, crashing onto the tiled ground of their kitchen, “What am I going to do without you in Konoha?”</p><p>Embarrassed, her supervisor glanced around to check if anyone from the savory team was in their part of the kitchen and awkwardly held her, patting on her back as she loudly sobbed her stress and sadness away on his jacket.</p><p>“Hinata”, he chuckled, embarrassed. “It’s not like you were leaving this kitchen forever, child… You’ll be back in six months, and I’ve personally talked with the Hokage’s Chef de cuisine to teach her how to monitor your training, you’ll be fine…”</p><p>He took a step back and firmly grabbed her shoulders, his eyes locking with hers, determined.</p><p>“And,” he added, a serious look on his face, “I know your worth around the kitchen. I’m not worried about you at all. I know you’ll make it to through the first stage, with or without me. Plus, take this little sabbatical as an opportunity to learn from new people. In pastry or in confectionary, a chef shall never stop experiencing. Okay?”</p><p>“Yes Chef”, she wept, weakly.</p><p>Everything had moved on way too fast. One day she was casually telling Hanabi that the Hokage was in two and the next, their father had arranged for her to get transferred to another place and country to work without even consulting with her first, leaving her three weeks to put her affairs in order. And the competition that was coming up soon...</p><p>A high pitched scream coming from the other side of the kitchen distracted them for a second, and Hinata took advantage of it to wipe her wet and gooey face with her apron. Today was her last day in the Orcher House kitchen before being transferred to the Hokages’ Palace in Konoha for the next six months and, even though she knew they would all meet again sooner than later, she couldn’t stop herself from crying. Hinata Watanabe, the savory sous-chef, suddenly burst in their side of the kitchen screeching, her jacket covered in a dark liquid, a saucepan in one hand, a ladle in the other. Chef Taiseki rolled his eyes hard, a sigh of exasperation coming out of his mouth.</p><p>“Will those two ever grow up” he grumbled as Hinata took a step back, fearing for the worst. </p><p>“Chef Kudo” shouted Taiseki as he walked towards the other side of the kitchen where the rest of the staff was working, “Please don’t-”</p><p>An enormous lump of sauce crashed on his face and he stopped short in shocker.</p><p>“Sauce waaaaar” Yelled the distant voice of Hinata Kudo, as Hinata and Watanabe burst into laughter at the sight of the abashed Chef Taiseki wiping his face.</p><p>Luckily for them, no one ever dared to set foot in the kitchen, which allowed the meal Chef Hinata Kudo and pastry Chef Taiseko Hasegawa to rule it as they saw fit. Though the staff could be considered small to cater for a Kage and their personnel, the seven colleagues were used to working with one another and knew their way around the kitchen so well that they could probably cook in there in their sleep. Moreover, because they spent almost every awaken minute of their day with one another and experienced the highs and lows of the kitchen life together, the crew was close to the point that they actually felt like family to Hinata. The cheerful and bubbly Hinatas, their shy but oh so kind and thoughtful commis Kazue, the chatty and energetic Koishi and Sachihiro, the fatherly Chef Taiseki, she was going to miss all of them more than she could even describe it. Her heart squeezed a little at the sight of her team fighting, pure happiness on their face, and she wondered if the Konoha’s kitchen would be nearly half as joyful and lively as the Iwa one.</p><p> </p><p><br/>“Damn, why is the kitchen always so hard to clean?” Complained Watanabe after they were done serving dinner, a mop covered in sauce in her hands.</p><p>“Maybe if you two idiots stopped having sauce wars every other day of the week, our job would be easier!” Barked Sachihirio, one of the waiters, as he scraped some dry sauce off the ceiling. Hinata smiled while washing her utensils, indulging in their bickering as she knew that she would not hear them in a long time. The day was almost over and it would be a while before she could work with them again. </p><p>Once they were done cleaning up the room, everything at its rightful place dry and shiny, they all sat down in the middle of the kitchen, as they did every night, to share a bowl of soup and play a game of cards. Hinata could barely touch her soup though, her stomach too knotted to handle any food, focusing instead as hard as she could on the game -not that she had any hopes of winning, but for it was an easy enough distraction from the sadness of her imminent departure. </p><p>Her colleagues exchanged knowing looks, and Hinata could feel that they were all trying to telepathically figure out a way to cheer her up.</p><p>“Hyūga, don’t you worry,” grinned Koishi after playing a card, “Think of it as a holiday! Or like that time Chef Kudo was sick last year…”</p><p>“I wasn’t sick!” Corrected Kudo, an outraged expression on her face, before throwing a box of cigarettes at him. “I was pregnant and had to give birth to my son!”</p><p>They all laughed and Hinata tried her best to relax for her teammates; she didn’t want to kill the mood on her last night here.</p><p>“Plus, we’ve all seen your friends from the Hokage’ staff” added Watanabe as she gave Hinata an eloquent look full of double-entendre. “And they looked goood, if you catch my drift”, she proclaimed, laughing at her timid colleague whose face was redder than a tomato. </p><p>“It’s not like that…” weakly protested Hinata, unconvincingly. She had hoped that they would have given up on this after all this time. Apparently, Naruto dropping by the kitchen to check on her had made a strong impression on her colleagues who had been relentlessly teasing her about him ever since. She frowned slightly and pinched her lips but didn’t try to object more, ready to take the blows. She wasn’t much of a fighter, anyway.</p><p>“I feel a bit better knowing that Hinata will be surrounded by friends of hers, though”, imparted Chef Taiseki, surreptitiously changing the subject. “I would not like to know my favorite assistant isolated and by herself at work.”</p><p>“Ooooh, Chef Taiseki! You’re such a softy, aren’t you!”</p><p>“That’s easy for you to say”, chimed in Hinata with a sneaky smile, “I’m your only assistant.”</p><p>They all laughed again before focusing on the game. After roughly one hour of chatting, drinking and barely any playing, the group reluctantly agreed it was time for everyone to go to sleep. Hinata felt tears rushing back to her eyes as she got up and gathered her stuff in the staff room. She had one last look at the empty locker that had been hers for the past six years and whispered the room goodbye before getting back in the kitchen, ready to leave.</p><p>Right before the door that led to the service hallway, she found all her colleagues lined up, a sad smile on their face, their arms full of goodbye gifts.</p><p>Hinata burst into tears.</p><p>“We knew you would be too embarrassed if you had had to open the gifts in front of us, so that’s why we are giving them to you now”, awkwardly said Sachihiro before hugging her. She grabbed the little bag that he was handing her and bowed to him, before stepping in front of the shy Kazue, that reminded her so much of herself at the same age. He didn’t say anything nor looked at her in the eyes, bowing down to her instead while handing her his gift with two hands. She let out a sob for only ‘thank you’ and bowed to him back, before welcoming the warm and tight embrace of Koishi.</p><p>“Don’t you worry Hinata, we’ll see each other again soon!” He proclaimed, a big grin on his face. “And on the week of the competition, we’ll all take a holiday to go and support you! I’m sure lady Kurotsuchi and her staff can order take out for once!”</p><p>They all chuckled at the idea of their Tsuchikage having to order her rice and banchan off the internet and he patted her arm as she received his gift, pushing her toward Chef Kudo and Watanabe that both circled her, whining.</p><p>“Hyūga, what are we gonna do with you?” Complained Wanatabe, their cheeks rubbing one against the other.</p><p>“Yes, we’re the three Hinatas, saying our name out loud won’t feel natural anymore!” Went on further Chef Kudo. </p><p>They both gave Hinata a wet kiss on the cheeks and Hinata did her best to grab the big box and bouquet they were handing her. She then turned towards the last person in line. The person that had taught her everything she knew. The person that had given a freshly graduated and girl a chance to work such a prestigious job.</p><p>“Chef Taiseki…” She tried, her voice shaking from the weeping. He nodded, instinctively understanding the feeling her mouth could not convey, and kindy handed her his own gift.</p><p>“Neither of us are good with words and or at verbalizing emotions, so here you go” he said, a hint of affection in his voice. She carefully seized the box, playing funambulist with her arms full. They all said goodbye one last time and, after escorting her outside of the employees’ entrance, waved at her as she was getting into her father’s car.</p><p>“Thank you again! Thank you so much for everything!” She yelled through her tears by the window as they slowly drove away. Her colleagues all cheered and she frantically waved back at them till all she could see were little dots in the distance. She sat down back inside, closing her window, fastening her seatbelt, and looked at Kō in the driver’s seat with sad eyes.</p><p>He kindly smiled at her, inquiring about her day at work. </p><p>She tried to answer him, but the pile of presents on the seat next to her caught her eyes and she collapsed again.</p><p>Though it was nearly 2 a.m. when they finally parked in the Hyūga compound's garage, she decided on opening her gifts anyway, deeming it disrespectful to her colleagues to wait till morning. </p><p>The one, the smallest one, was the one from Kazue, the commis. Hinata chuckled as she unwrapped it, a book that she had casually mentioned once months before during a conversation, saying that she’d like to find the time to read it. He was so considerate.</p><p>The second one, the one from Kudo and Watanabe, was a ‘customized’ chef jacket stained with sauce and on which they had written and drawn all kinds of silly and cute stuff. Sachihiro’s bag contained texture and transfer sheets for chocolate, as well as a cute little card, and Koishi’s one was filled with junk you would find in your average Iwa tourist trap, as well as homemade Iwa mochis. Then came her mentor’s box.</p><p>Though the box itself was big, it was as light as the gift from the girls and she frowned at it, clueless about its content. The box actually came with a card, and she deemed it wise to start with it first.</p><p>“<em>Hinata,</em></p><p>
  <em>I hold it as an absolute certainty that, one day or another, you will have your own.</em>
  <br/>
  <em>In the meantime, let me lend you this one, for you never to let your goal out of sight.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>And, even in the darkest times, always remember that doing what you are passionate about and doing it well is more important than any rewards in the world.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>It has been one of my greatest joys to count you as my assistant and partner all those years.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Take care of yourself while in Konohagakure,</em>
</p><p><em>T. Hasegawase</em>”</p><p>How long did she stay there, in the dark of the night, crying over Chef Taiseki’s jacket? She had no idea, but the golden striped collar vest had been long soaked when she finally felt dry and empty. Sniffing into her umpteenth tissue, she patted her eyes and decided to take a picture of her red eyes and nose with the gifts in the background to send her colleagues.</p><p>“<em>What an emotional night… You are the bestest team one little Hinata could have dreamed of, and no amount of good-looking Fire staff will measure up against you! </em><br/><em>I miss you all already.</em></p><p>
  <em>See you in 6 months and keep me updated on the gossips ;)</em>
</p><p><em>Your Hyūga</em>”</p><p>In this very moment, she felt so loved that it seemed like her heart could explode.</p><p> </p><p><br/>Hinata had taken two days of rest after finishing work to recover and enjoy the last family time she would have with Hanabi and their father in a long time. Hiashi Hyūga had taken the days off as well -something that had never happened since forever- and the three of them took advantage of that unusual situation to hit the park for some family walks and picnics, try out a tea salon Hanabi had heard about and finally, celebrate the girls’ departure at Iwa’s most luxurious and outrageously expensive restaurant, somewhere they had only been at for their father’s birthday before.</p><p>As they ate their food in silence, Hinata gazed at their father as discreetly as she could, detailing his stern and serious expression, suffused with gravitas. He had hardly said a word today, limiting himself to following his daughters around as they pleased, lost in their contemplation. </p><p>A wave of emotion suddenly stifled her throat and she felt an infinite sorrow at the thought of their aging and lonely father left behind by his only daughters. Even though he would never admit it, she knew how devastating Hanabi’s departure was for him. Hanabi was his daughter in ways Hinata could never compete with. He had raised her by himself and while Hinata had been bowed down by his coldness and stoicism, seizing any opportunity she could to avoid his oppressive presence, Hanabi had stood relentlessly against him, again and again, shining her truth, her innocence and her warmth around so strongly that he had no choice but to let his walls melt away. </p><p>Once their dinner over, they reluctantly headed home, all too aware that they were living their very last moments together before who knew when. </p><p>Then their father invited them to share one last cup of tea, just the three of them, in the semi-darkness of the Hyūga compound chashitsu, Hanabi and Hinata facing him from their guest mat, their tears lazily running down their cheeks.</p><p>After what felt like an eternity, their cups long empty, the moon high in the sky, Hiashi finally opened his mouth, almost startling the sisters.</p><p>“Hanabi”, he said, his voice full of solemnity, “Please leave us alone for a moment and wait at the guest’s entrance.” Hanabi, her face unusually pale and serious, gave a nod of her head to signal her understanding and carefully walked out of the tea house, leaving Hinata with the family’s patriarch. </p><p>Hiashi took a deep breath. It almost felt like telling her what he had to say to her was the hardest thing he would ever have to do, which Hinata found quite ironic considering how, in the past, he had never held back his opinion about her life decisions.</p><p>Seeing how silent he remained, she braced herself and decided to make the first step to spare him any more anxiety. How their relationship had changed.</p><p>“Father”, she proclaimed, projecting her voice louder than she had intended to, “Don’t you worry about Hanabi. I will care for her and protect her more than anything, rest assured!” She added, ending on a deep bow. She stood the still stance for a moment, not knowing if she should just get straight up again or had to keep waiting for her father to make a move -which felt more unlikely every second that passed.</p><p>“Hinata.”</p><p>His voice was but a whisper in the dark and she took it as her signal to get back up, her shoulders and back as straight as possible, heels digging into her buttocks. </p><p>“Hinata” he repeated, his tone slightly shaken by a trembling, “I know how strong and experienced you are. You know the ways of the world and how to take care of yourself. Please, guide Hanabi and help her find her own way outside this house. Take care of one another. You young women are <em>both</em> my most prized possessions.”</p><p>Hinata could barely see her father bow to her through her tears. She frantically bowed back to him before leaving the room, signaling with a vague movement of the hand to Hanabi that it was her turn, before running to the main house to peacefully cry at ease.</p><p>“Everything’s alright, Miss Hinata?”</p><p>Hinata saw Kō heading indecisively towards her at the other end of the corridor where she had huddled up, thinking no one would come to bother her here.<br/>She dried her tears and smiled at this reassuring fatherly figure before managing to get up despite her shaken members. </p><p>“Kō”, she called, plaintive, before rushing into his arms to prevent more tears from forming in the corners of her eyes. Kō took a step back, shocked and obviously embarrassed at the unexpected physical contact and breach of protocol but for once, Hinata didn’t care. Her temples buried in his chest, she soaked in Kō’s familiar scent, her breathing slowly leveling.</p><p>“Please watch after my father while we are away. I know I’m asking a lot from you but, don’t let my father get too lonely. Make sure he eats and gets some decent sleep. Make sure he goes out for a walk every day. Don’t let him wither while we are gone. Don’t let him forget that we are coming back, I beg of you.”</p><p>Kō chuckled, bashful, and Hinata’s eyes opened wide when he reciprocated her embrace.</p><p>“Miss Hinata, I can promise you that my wife and I won’t allow that. I’ll personally make sure that lord Hiashi stays in perfect health for you two young ladies, as I have always done.”</p><p>“Kō?”</p><p>“Yes, Miss Hinata?”</p><p>She raised her face to meet his clouded pale eyes, her chin rubbing against his dark kimono. She felt like a little girl again.</p><p>“Take care of yourself as well”, she murmured with a shy smile. He grinned back at her and they let the silence of the house surround them, the corridor around them vanishing in the dark as they stood still one against the other for the last time in many months.</p><p> </p><p><br/>The sisters’ travel journey to Konoha proved incredibly different from their last one. In lieu of a crowded commercial flight, they flew on a private jet and instead of getting on board the Thunder Train, they enjoyed the treat of a chauffeured car sent by the Resort to get them.</p><p>“I cannot believe we are back!” Bubbled an ecstatic Hanabi as they entered the familiar Hyūga suite. Hinata sat down on one of the couches of the main living room, still exhausted despite her five-hour nap in the jet. And her other one-hour one in the car.</p><p>Hanabi joined her promptly, letting herself heavily fall on the couch next to her, a moan of relief escaping from her throat. She then closed the distance between them and cuddled against Hinata, purring at the warm and familiar body. Hinata smiled and delicately put her arm around her baby sister’s shoulder, a large grin shining straight at her in reward. They both giggled and allowed the tiredness of the travel to sink in a bit as they sat there completely still, their mind blanked, too lazy to move or say anything.</p><p>Hinata blessed the skies for such moments with her sister. Though they had been close as children, they eventually had grown apart during Hinata’s teenage years, and the fracture had become even more apparent after Neji’s death. She remembered how the simplest thing, like Hanabi’s hair or shape of chin, would plunge her into the strongest despair, and the memories of this dark time suddenly sent shivers down her spine. She held Hanabi even tighter and her sister raised her face to look at her, questioning lavender eyes meeting hers. “Are you okay?”</p><p>Hinata nodded, trying her best to hide her inner turmoils. “Yes”, she answered in a gentle whisper, “I was just thinking about Father.”</p><p>Hanabi’s mouth distorted into a silent “oh” of realization and she could see in her sister’s eyes that she felt embarrassed about momentarily forgetting about him. Remorse overtook Hinata who, after all, wasn’t thinking about their Father either, and she felt the blood starting to rush to her face. However, Hanabi was too busy taking her phone out to notice, which Hinata was secretly grateful for.</p><p>“Let’s video call Father, then!” She proclaimed as she settled more comfortably in her sister’s arm, her back actually crushing Hinata’s right boob. She hummed her agreement and smiled at the phone that Hanabi was holding up in the air so the camera could capture the both of them fully. They waited several seconds, the tone echoing around them as Hiashi Hyūga was picking up, apparently unmoved from seeing his daughters.</p><p>“Hi Father!” They both cheered as they waved at him, and the ghost of the smile passed over his face. </p><p>This was how they would function as the family, now.</p><p> </p><p><br/>“HINATAAAAA!”</p><p>Kiba’s voice resonated loud and clear against the metal walls of the elevator cabin as the door opened. Next to him, Tamaki’s brows furrowed and she snapped a “too loud!” at her boyfriend who gave her a bratty look in return.</p><p>Though Hanabi and Hinata had just moved in that very same afternoon, their friends had insisted on throwing them a welcome party/dinner at the suite. Despite Hinata’s weak protests, they all had insisted on joining them for their first night in Konoha and before she even knew it, Kiba, Tamaki, Shino, Ino, Sai, Temari as well as three friends of Hanabi’s had agreed on meeting at their suite and pig out at the expenses of the hotel’s personal chef.</p><p>Hinata had a small chuckle and stepped forward to hug and welcome them when Hanabi’s disapproving tutting behind her caught her attention and made her stop half-way.</p><p>“This is a fine people’s place here, Inuzuka, not the donut-filled hellhole that you call a precinct so stop being so obnoxious!” </p><p>Kiba, obviously taking great offense of this remark, dashed out of the elevator, lifting his shirt out of the blue to unveil his chiseled abs. “Do these look like they’ve ever seen a donut in their life, Hyūga?” he barked at Hanabi, oblivious to his surroundings. Hinata violently turned her upper body away in shock, eyes wide opened, hands covering the gasp of surprise her mouth wanted to let out, her face blinking like a traffic light and though Hanabi seemed as unmoved as humanly possible by the scene, serenely challenging Kiba’s glare with a smirk, Tamaki looked like the heavens had fallen upon her. “Stop flashing young women around you moron!” She squeaked while trying to hide Kiba’s belly with one hand, the other one pulling down his shirt. Kiba mumbled some vague excuse and only when they had assured her that he was fit to be seen again did Hinata dare to turn around and cast a shy glance at her friend. His torso was covered. <em>Phew.</em></p><p>The silence settled for a short moment, followed by large bursts of laughter as they gathered for a group hug. “That’s what I call a dramatic entrance!” Commented Hanabi, sending them all over the edge again. </p><p>“What is happening here, we could hear you from the lobby!” </p><p>They had the hardest time to turn around amidst their shakes of laughter, to Ino’s visible utter dismay. Behind her, her smiling husband was slowly but surely retreating inside the elevator, his hand pulling on Ino’s skirt in an attempt to make her follow him.</p><p>“Come on Ino, let’s go back home instead…”</p><p> </p><p><br/>The dinner was in full swing by 8 p.m. and everyone around the suite’s massive wooden table was obviously enjoying themselves. True to herself, Hanabi had ordered sashimis, sushis and makis in industrial quantities as well as kushiage, ikayaki and takoyaki -for she “was feeling like it”. Kiba and Temari had been <em>incredibly</em> swift at finding Hiashi Hyūga’ stash of sake and the group kept cheering for every good enough reason they could come up with, their ochoko cups happily banging together each time. </p><p>“It’s too bad Sakura was on night shift tonight, she doesn’t know what she’s missing out!” Lamented Ino while finishing what Hinata thought was her sixth cup. </p><p>“I actually thought she wasn’t working tonight?”</p><p>Ino massaged the bridge of her nose, a desperate look on her face.</p><p>“You know how she is”, she told Temari as she generously replenished their cups, “every time Sasuke vanishes without a word or filters her calls, she falls apart and throws herself at work to forget him.”</p><p>Insensitive as one could expect, Kiba loudly chimed in, showering everyone with his obnoxious gossips. “We saw them left Sai’s birthday party discreetly together last time, ain’t that right, Shino?” </p><p>Next to Hinata, Shino tensed up, obviously displeased to be associated with such claims.</p><p>Ino was vividly questioning Kiba about what he had seen exactly, apparently unaware of that story. Next to her, peaceful as always, Sai was twinkling gently at his now wife and Hinata felt her heart squeezing from so much cuteness. “We could set some food aside and bring it to her later if you’d wish” he offered, already grabbing some makis for Sakura. How cute and thoughtful of them.</p><p>“No no no, no need to!” Claimed Ino suddenly, stuffing her face with the makis that her husband was setting aside. “If she wanted some, she should have come, that’s just that easy!” The group sniggered at Ino brazenness and Hinata took advantage of the pause in the discussion to politely ask Temari if Shikamaru was working. Even though she had never been that close to Shikamaru -his sarcastic personality was a social nightmare of hers- and found Temari outright terrifying, she always made inviting them to her reunions with the group a point of honor and engaging in small talks with them, a personal challenge. Temari’s frowning intensified and she angrily swallowed her takoyaki whole with a “glup” that broke Hinata into a cold sweat. She was more than happy not to be Shikamaru at this moment.</p><p>“That ungrateful brat” she ranted, her upset aura growing so much around her that the poor friend of Hanabi with a runny nose that sat next to her curled up out of fear on his seat. “My first night home in weeks and this moron is stuck at work!” She brutally hit the table with her closed fist, startling everybody so much that Hinata and Shino grabbed each other’s hands, petrified. Gosh, was she dreadful.</p><p>Temari turned her angry eyes towards Hanabi, flaunting a blaming finger at her. Everyone held their breath, too afraid to intervene. </p><p>“Hey, Hanabi… Why would you want to work at such a place? The Hokage’s office is soul-crushing, run away while you still can. Konohamaru”, she added for the benefit of the young and quite handsome man that was sitting next to the Hyūga, “it’s too late for you already.”</p><p>Unshakeable, Hanabi carefully grabbed an ikayaki and, as she contemplated the piece of grilled squid impaled between her fingers, calmly answered, full of herself: “Wait til they meet the new lady of the house.” The table laughed as one, tension leaving the room, and Hinata couldn’t help but admire her sister’s ability for composure and playfulness in all circumstances. No wonder why she was the one their father was training to become the next Director of their empire.</p><p>“Do you already know who will be mentoring you?” Asked Moegi, a red-headed girl that Hinata had been able to recognize from some of her pictures with Hanabi on social media. Hanabi nodded, still chewing on her squid.</p><p>“Well, Chief Yamato is already mentoring me and by mentoring me, I mean not mentoring me in any way at all, so that can’t be him” jeered Konohamaru with a telltale side glance at Hanabi. He suddenly clapped his fist in his hand, realizing something. “Oh! Maybe Shikamaru will be your mentor!” </p><p>Temari’s eyes threw daggers as she abandoned her sashimi for Hanabi once again. “If that’s the case, please make his life a living hell” she ordered, the youth cracking up again at the idea. </p><p>“She’s going to have them wrapped around her finger at the Hokage’s office” commented Shino next to Hinata, and for a second she almost saw him smile. She hummed, a contained smile on her lips. She didn’t want him to believe that she encouraged this kind of behavior from her sister, but as usual, he was right.</p><p>“Actually”, finally swallowed Hanabi, Shikamaru said he couldn’t mentor me because we know each other already. It’s gonna be some other dude instead, Naruto Uzumaki.</p><p>At the casual mention of that name, Hinata’s mind went blank for a second. Of course, out of the what, four people that worked as the Hokage’s assistants, it had to be him. Of course. <em>Of course</em>. She could already picture herself explaining to Hanabi how she harbored a burning love for the man in charge of grading her internship report.</p><p>As the food became scarcer and scarcer and the bellies fuller and fuller, the table broke down into smaller groups of lazy conversations. Hinata, who was sitting on one end, was resting her head on Shino’s shoulder, Kiba and Tamaki telling them funny jokes from the other side of the table. Next to them, Ino, who looked like she had had one too many drinks, was competing with Sai’s Ipad for his attention, this latter too busy drawing the group to mind her. Next to Shino, Konohamaru, Hanabi, Moegi and Udon -she wasn’t actually quite sure about the last one’s name- were talking about some celebrity Hinata had vaguely heard about and finally, at the other end, yawning, was Temari, seemingly as tired as her.</p><p>Hinata let the chatter of the party cradle her gently, feeling sleep sneakily overcome her, the tension from starting a new job at a new place the next morning slowly getting to her. How could her new crew be even half as wonderful as her old one? She couldn’t even conceive the idea. Her mind had already wandered miles away from the party and was back in Iwa when someone pronounced the forbidden word again, instantly bringing her back to the dining room, her wise opening wide, her back straightening up in a second.</p><p>“... and I told Naruto that he could not always have it his way all the time, but he insisted so much that I finally had to cave him, after all, he was already <em>in front of the door</em> so it wasn’t like…” Blabbed Ino to Tamaki, her eyes rolling. What was she even talking about? Hinata had no idea and to be honest, she wasn’t listening anymore, too lost in the memory of him and her, in a dark room. She massaging his hand. She massaging his arm. His smiles of relief, the sparkles in his eyes when he grinned at her… Shino pressed softly on her arm and she came back to her senses, the lights of the party suddenly blinding her.</p><p>“Hinata, are you ok?” The worried tone of a monotone voice reached her ears with difficulty, as another voice calling out her name resonated in her mind. “The reason is that you look quite red.”</p><p>She giggled stupidly at the information and firmly pressed her hands on her cheeks, the heat emanating from her face gently pulsating as the blood rushed through her face. The simple memory of that night was enough to get her all hot and bothered. </p><p>“I-I’m fine”, she managed to stutter, before rushing to her bathroom to cool off. </p><p>
  <em>Hinata, at the wedding, when we shared that last dance…</em>
</p><p>She blushed even harder as she recalled his last words before he passed out. It had taken her actual minutes to recover from this probably carefree statement, her brain processing the meaning behind what was for sure innocent words on his part. However… Her heart could not help but hope, just a teeny tiny bit. It wasn’t just in her head at the wedding. It wasn’t. And if he had felt it too, could that mean that…</p><p>She vigorously splashed water at her face, her bangs sticking to her forehead, frantically shaking her head to chase those dangerous thoughts away. She was here to learn. To take care of Hanabi. To prepare for her competition. She couldn’t let some <em>boy</em> distract her from her goals. Especially the kind of boy that had beautifully ignored her for the past fifteen years.</p><p>But what a boy.</p><p> </p><p>After rejoining the group at the table, they kept on talking for around forty-five minutes, until someone mentioned how late it was and they all got up as one man to leave. The laughter and happy voices followed Hinata and Hanabi to the elevator and, as the cabin went down the building, their presence stuck with them a little longer, till silence had completely filled the void of their departure. Hinata yawned. The dining room was a crime scene and she felt bad about leaving it like this but, as Hanabi had pointed out, their father wasn’t paying the place a fortune for nothing. Muting her guilt, she kissed her younger sister goodnight and got herself to bed.</p><p>Maybe it was because she was stressed out about her first day, but that night, she dreamed of Neji. </p><p>She knew the street was pitch dark because the street lights were broken, but she could still see like in broad daylight the scene that was going on before her eyes. They had left archery practice later than usual that day. She was feeling angry. Desperate. Betrayed. She was walking fast, almost running. The sound of his voice reached her ears but her fogged brain couldn’t figure out the words. She crossed the road and…</p><p>“Hinata, wait!”</p><p>She brutally sat up straight in bed, breathless and on the verge of hyperventilating, tears rolling down her face. She blinked, registering where and when she was, but it still took her a moment to fully regain control over her shaking body. She dried her eyes with her sheets and looked at the digital alarm clock on her nightstand. 5:43 a.m. Almost time to wake up.</p><p>She let out a loud sight as she wiped out her forehead from her nightmare soaking bangs with a move of her forearm. Her dream was already eluding her and she furrowed her brows as she desperately tried to latch onto a feeling, an image, anything. Anything that could have given her a clue about what had plunged her into such distress. She tried again, frowning even more, her entire facial features contracting under the effort. Nothing. </p><p>Oh well, she thought giving up, her face getting back to its smooth, original state, it might not have been that important, then. Plus, it was really time for her to wake up, as she noticed when glancing at her clock once again, turning the alarm off before any piercing sound would get the chance to come out of it.</p><p>She then threw away her covers, her feet sending electrical waves to her body as they got in touch with the cold, wooden floors, and she barely made it out of the bed on her first try. It was going to be a long day.</p><p>After a quick shower and once she had slipped into a pair of jeans and a light mauve blouse, her hair into her work-signature messy bun, she grabbed her bag and stepped in the main living room, ready to leave. It was actually still quite early, but she felt like waiting in the suite would make her an even bigger nervous wreck.</p><p>As she walked by one of the couches on her way to the elevator, a shapeless mass caught the corner of her eye.</p><p>“Hanabi!” She yelped, surprised to see her sister already awake at such an ungodly hour, “What are you doing there?”</p><p>Hanabi gave her an inquiring look as she raised her face from her phone screen and pulled out her headphones. “Hey Hina, going already?”</p><p>Hinata timidly agreed and her sister got out of the couch. Much to Hinata’s surprise, Hanabi was already dressed up and seemed as ready to leave as she was. </p><p>Could she actually be… Anxious about her first day? That was hard to believe, considering the stress-free and self-confident persona Hanabi projected.</p><p>“Didn’t you sleep well?” She interrogated the young brunette as her sister grabbed her own working back that was laying against the couch. Hanabi yawned and gave her a nod of the head, her lavender eyes shaded with sleep.</p><p>“You sleepwalked again last night and I just couldn’t fall back asleep after that.”</p><p>The statement took Hinata aback and she blushed profusely as she bowed down, pouring apologies out. To her knowledge, she hadn’t sleepwalked in years.</p><p>She must have been even more anxious than she thought she was. She really wondered what her nightmare was about.</p><p>Hanabi swept her excuses away with an innocent giggle and, after getting around the couch, settled against Hinata, grabbing her arm firmly, a grin enlightening her somewhat whithered features. </p><p>“Shall we walk there this morning?” She offered. “We could enjoy the sunrise hours like that.”</p><p>Hinata smiled back at her baby sister and playfully pressed her cheek against hers, indulging in their close proximity.</p><p>Hanabi was such a mystery to her, her natural ability to give love in such an unreservedly way to everyone marveling Hinata. Despite her not being the most open-hearted person, despite her leaving her younger sister behind to study her sorrow away in some faraway land, despite her workaholic personality keeping her away from the house most of the time, Hanabi had only been but kind and loving to her, no matter the season, and Hinata had always admired that trait. How many times had she silently wished to be as trusting, giving as Hanabi? She had long lost count.</p><p>The girls got in their elevator, waving hello at the bodyguard that was standing in front of it, waiting for the end of his shift, and soon took a deep breath of the morning’s fresh air as they both exited the building, their arms still intertwined. It wasn’t 6:30 a.m. yet and the streets of Konoha were only starting to emerge from their lethargy. Hinata could feel the life coming back to her as they walked down the big and clean avenues of their rich neighborhood, their happy chatter echoing against the cobblestone roads as the Hokages’ Palace became bigger and bigger on the horizon.</p><p>As they entered the last segment of their walk, they encountered Konohamaru, one of Moegi’s friends that Hanabi had invited to their dinner party last night and who promptly threw an arm around Hanabi’s shoulders, effectively pulling her away from her sister as he engaged the conversation with her. </p><p>Hinata didn’t say a word but couldn’t help but cast him a suspicious glance as she slowed down to give the two some space. Hanabi was largely grinning at him and seemed to have completely forgotten about Hinata, too engrossed in Konohamaru’s blathering. Hinata rolled her eyes. Hanabi hadn’t even started her internship that she was already courting her colleagues. A-ma-zing.</p><p>Once they had reached the Hokages’ palace, Konohamaru proved himself to be more than a smooth talker, though. As one of the Hokage’s direct assistants, he knew the place inside out as well as the protocols, and expertly led them to the HR office, high-fiving the people working there as he introduced them to the girls.</p><p>“Don’t you worry, they will send for your supervisors to come and greet you”, he energetically told them as the sister saw him off at the office door. “It shouldn’t take long.” He then proceeded to turn towards Hanabi, a sunny smile on his lips. “See you soon in the office, Hanabi!” He winked. Hinata’s jaw slightly dropped in front of such shameless public flirting, but again, she refrained from saying anything. </p><p>There were currently three people in the HR office and, as the girls filled out paper forms, they listened to them engaging in gossipy whispers about how some Anbu had been caught making out heavily with one of the cryptographers by a security camera. Then, the sisters had their picture taken for their badge, to Hinata’s utter dismay -her work bun made her look like an unkempt person.</p><p>Finally, as they waited in silence on uncomfortable plastic chairs in a corner of the office, Shikamaru showed at the door, lazily nodding at his colleagues before heading for Hanabi.</p><p>“Hinata, Hanabi”, he greeted them, laid back as always. “Has HR taken good care of you?”</p><p>The girls vigorously nodded. </p><p>“Great. Hanabi, time to play with the big boys now! Come on.”</p><p>All excited, Hanabi squeezed Hinata’s hand as her sister mouthed a “Fighting!” before getting up to follow Shikamaru. ”Call me when you’re done tonight, and we’ll go play cricket after to celebrate!” her sister told her as she exited the office. Shikamaru actually held back and faced Hinata, hesitant. She had never seen Shikamaru look so bashful before and his unexpected embarrassment made her feel awkward and self-conscious. Red inexplicably colored her cheeks and she looked down, the familiar sight of her shoes helping her focus. A couple of meters away, Shikamaru cleared his throat loudly.</p><p>“Sorry again for not making it yesterday”, he apologized nonchalantly. “Did… Did Temari eat well yesterday night? Did she have a good time? She didn’t leave too late, did she? Cause she has a big thing coming up soon and… No, no, never mind”, he withdrew lymphatically, and to Hinata’s surprise, he flushed. Feeling his discomfort, she automatically bowed down to him, apologies coming out of her mouth without any sort of self-control.</p><p>“I can assure you that the group took great care of Temari, Shikamaru!” She claimed, way louder than she would have wished to. “I believe she had a good time and enjoyed our company, before heading home at an appropriate time!”</p><p>Instead of easing his obvious discomfort, her little over-zealous outburst had unsettled Shikamaru even more and he rushed to lift Hinata up as quickly as possible while the HR on the other side of the room were silently commenting on the scene, Hanabi grinning broadly at the door.</p><p>“Come on Hanabi, let’s go”, he mumbled, dashing through the room, Hanabi at his heels discreetly waving her goodbye. Hinata curled up on her chair as she could feel the lingering stares of her new colleagues, praying for her supervisor to show up anytime soon. </p><p>She had never held Shikamaru as the caring kind, but seeing him try to hide his concern for Temari’s well-being was way too heartwarming. She just loved seeing the people around her show how they cared for their loved ones and Shikamaru went up to her estimation for such a candid public display of affection for his girlfriend. If only he knew how she had trash-talked him at dinner...</p><p>Her prayers got answered pretty fast in the form of a tall and stern-looking, green-haired woman in her forties who was harboring an incredibly long white double-breasted jacket that reached to her knees, almost completely hiding her black pants. She did not bother entering the room, energetically signaling Hinata to come to her instead, a commanding look upon her face. Hinata could feel her heart freeze in her chest and blood leave her upper body as she shyly raised up, leaving her soul behind her. She looked nothing like Chefs Taiseki and Kudo.</p><p>“Hinata Hyūga?” She asked, restlessness, as Hinata hurried across the room. “I’m Chef Eri Masuda, I’m in charge of the catering teams here at the Palace.” She then proceeded to extend a hand that Hinata shook carefully, her phalanges getting smashed by the powerful grip of her new manager.</p><p>“Let’s go” she ordered and, without even checking if Hinata was following or not, Chef Eri started crossing the hallway striding, Hinata almost running after her to keep up.</p><p>“Let’s not lose time, shall we?”</p><p>Hinata hurriedly hummed as they dived into the elevator and the Chef pressed on the sixth-floor button. </p><p>“I had a talk with Chef Hasegawa and I think I already know most of your routine at the Orcher House. Here in Konoha, we do things differently.” Hinata had no difficulties believing it, seeing how she was being greeted. “The food staff is divided into two teams here, with the larger one that caters to the employees and whose kitchen is on the first floor, and the second one, yours, that cooks for the Hokage, the city’s council, the A team, the Guard Platoon, the Anbu, the Intelligence Service Division and the heads of every department this building host. On a regular basis, if the Hokage isn’t receiving visitors, we cater to thirty to fifty plates every service, depending on who’s in the building. This number varies greatly though as the Anbu and ISD are not here on a regular basis nor do work on a traditional schedule. In total, that's seventy-nine people that your kitchen serves day and night from the sixth floor.”</p><p>Hinata opened her eyes widely, intimidated by the number. She had never taken care of that many people, even on special events. The staff they had to feed rarely exceeded fifteen people and, on days like when the Konoha delegation was there, the work overload barely seemed manageable. How was she supposed to bake for seventy-nine people, by herself, every day? </p><p>The doors opened with a “ding” and Chef Eri started running down the corridor again.</p><p>“Since the Hokage, the A team, the Anbu and the ISD are working around-the-clock, we have to make sure we are ready to feed them anytime, and that includes at night. Therefore, we take turns during the week to make sure there is always someone in the kitchen to provide them with food. Given that you are alone at your position, you won’t be expected to work every night of course, but you’ll do two 24-hours shifts per week like the others.”</p><p>Fortunately for her, Chef Eri was walking so fast that Hinata was dragging behind; otherwise, she would have caught the less than enthusiastic look that was growing on her new employee’s face with every new word that came out of her mouth. Two night shifts a week. She was going to die there. There was no way she could survive those six months. There was no way she could prepare for her competition. No way she would actually make it alive to the competition. Was it too late to give up and go back to Iwa?</p><p>The familiar sounds of pans, utensils and ingredients being handled hit her ears like a comforting melody as they finally entered the kitchen. It must have been at least thrice the size of the one she worked in at the Orcher Palace, with double the number of people in there. Everyone was rushing around, cutting meat and vegetables alike, cleaning dishes, yelling at one another to pass them the salt or whatever herb, already getting lunch ready even though it wasn’t even 10 a.m. yet. The din was astonishing and the perpetual agitation visually wearing. Hinata had never worked in such a big kitchen before.</p><p>“We have three sous-chefs, three commis, one student doing a work placement and four waiters rotating in this kitchen day and night to make sure we provide the Hokage with the best service.”</p><p>She clapped loudly in her hands twice, her authoritarian presence stopping everyone in the middle of their tasks, all eyes on them. Hinata’s neck was on fire.</p><p>“Everyone, this is Hinata Hyūga, the Iwa dessert maker that is generously being lent to us by the Tsuchikage for the next six months. As you all know, the Hokage is considering hiring someone like her permanently somewhere in the future, so do not hesitate to ask her questions about her role. I trust you all to show her around the kitchen and to make her feel welcome.” The cooks gave her kind and engaging smiles all around the room, but Hinata couldn’t help but feel nauseous. <em>Please don’t faint now, please don’t faint now…</em> She begged herself, panic seizing her body as Chef Eri kept on talking next to her. “...help you around, where is he? Ōtsutsuki?”</p><p>Hinata came back to her senses in time to see a young boy raise steadfastly his hand, silver locks of unruly hair framing a delicate face. </p><p>“Hyūga, one of our commis volunteered to show you around and assist you, since you’ll have so much on your plate”, Eri Masuda explained, hastily beckoning the young man. He extracted himself from the crowd and bowed respectfully at the two women, a serene smile on his face. “Get back to work you guys, sorry for the disturbance!” Yelled the Chef at the others, before introducing her two subordinates to one another.</p><p>“Hyūga, this is Toneri Ōtsutsuki, one of our commis. He expressed his interest in assisting you, if that’s ok with you of course. He’s not trained in your field though, so you would have to teach him. Now, let me show you your station”, she added as she started moving towards the end of the kitchen to a little area that had been artificially separated from the rest of the room by wooden panel screens. </p><p>“We don’t have an extra room that could have been changed into a laboratory, sorry, so we set up those to try to keep this area secluded from the rest.” Hinata stepped into the space, assessing the marble surface with a light touch, her eyes darting from one piece of equipment to another. After a quick inspection, she nodded at the Chef, who seemed relieved. </p><p>“You got lucky, the marble plan only arrived yesterday. Ōtsutsuki, you can go” she told the young commis while guiding Hinata out of the kitchen, “Hyūga will ask for you if and when she needs your help.”</p><p>And with this, they exited the room.</p><p>Hinata spent the rest of the morning in Chef Eri’s office, learning about the protocol. The kitchen had a red phone that was connected directly to the Hokage’s office so that lord Kakashi could place an order immediately. Any food or beverage sent to him had to be tried by one of the three members of his guard platoon. They had a rotation of 28 different dishes and Hinata was expected to come up with as many desserts -though this should hardly be a problem for her. They never did the same pastry or treat twice unless specifically requested to by the Tsuchikage back in Iwa. She would also have to train for her exam on the night shifts, which were usually really calm and boring. If she needed anything, she’d have to report to the Chef directly.</p><p>Hinata made it back to the kitchen in the early afternoon, only to find it way calmer than earlier. The lunch rush was over and half the crew was on a break, the others clearing the stations and organizing the space in anticipation for dinner. The young boy from before wasn’t there, which was a relief. She needed time for herself to get accustomed to the place. </p><p>The afternoon went by in a flash as Hinata elaborated a menu to submit to her Chef -who in turn would submit it to the Hokage’s Chief of Staff for approval- and moved her tools around her station in a more coherent and practical way for her to use them. The savory team was working at full speed to serve dinner on time behind her as she gathered the ingredients to start tempering the chocolate for the first batch of confections when a collective whisper roamed the kitchen, catching her attention. </p><p>She made a sudden u-turn right on time to see a tall man wearing a face mask and a long ceremonial white cloak, followed by a man around the same age as the Hokage, short brown hair and long sideburns, a frustrated look upon his face, enter the room. </p><p>Back in Iwa, the Tsuchikage had never even dared to set foot in their territory and, judging by the shocked expression on the cooks’ faces, it was probably a first for the Konoha Catering team as well. </p><p><em>Please don’t be here for me, please don’t be…</em> She frantically prayed, not wanting to be singled out in such a way on her first day of work in front of her entire new crew. Kakashi scanned the crowd and his eyes wrinkled at her sight, his smiling face acknowledging her presence. Damn it.</p><p>He headed towards her, the man that she vaguely recognized from their last visit as one of his staff members on his heels and she put up her best façade to greet them as they crossed the entire kitchen to reach her. She could feel the spotlight on her as the lord Hokage offered her a hand, before a threatening look from the other man convinced everyone to resume their tasks at hand.</p><p>“I don’t usually greet our new recruits, but I thought I’d make an exception today for our long-term benefactor’s daughter! I’m Kakashi Hatake, the Fire Country’s Hokage, though we have already met before. Ain’t that right, Miss Hyūga?” He queried nicely, his benevolent tone soothing Hinata’s sudden anxiety outburst.</p><p>She straightened up and nodded, trying her best to project an aura of professionalism and self-confidence in front of the Hokage. She had always instinctively known that her family’s money and influence could buy anything, but for some reason, she was still surprised to discover it could also afford a semblance of respect from a Kage. For some reason, this disappointed her a little and comforted her lesser opinion of the Konoha’s Palace. Never had the Tsuchikage distinguished her among her peers in one way or another, nor made her feel like something else than a face in the crowd.</p><p>He inquired about her day. It was going fine. Was her station to her liking? Yes, it was. Was it exact that her sister and herself had moved there only yesterday? Yes. She must really miss her old colleagues. Indeed.</p><p>The interrogation dragged on for a couple of questions more and Hinata internally scratched her head, unable to figure out where he was headed with this.</p><p>Kakashi’s eyes switched from happy to apologetic as if he had heard her thoughts and he scratched his temples, embarrassed.</p><p>“Actually, the reason why I’m here was to check if, by any chance, you had any of those little chocolate thingies that I had last time at the Orcher house with you…” He admitted with an awkward laugh, his assistant rolling his eyes at him behind his back. Hinata blinked, taken aback by the request. The lord Hokage had left his office and had ventured into uncharted territories for… A piece of chocolate?</p><p>“I just couldn’t stop thinking about them, they were just too good! I think I’m addicted, sorry!” </p><p>“What aren’t you addicted to, that’s the question”, muttered the other man. Kakashi gave him a discrete nudge in the stomach and Hinata couldn’t help it but blush a little from the comment. The Hokage had liked her treats. He had liked them so much he actually remembered them. She bet that if someone held her a mirror at this exact moment, she could see her eyes sparkling.</p><p>“It’s such an honor, Lord Hokage!” She shouted, deeply bowing down, the quick and unexpected movement startling her interlocutors. “However, chocolate bonbons take a solid 30 hours to get ready and I haven’t started making any yet, but I will do so straight away lord Hokage, I promise!” She proclaimed in one breath. Kakashi picked her up, her zealous attitude embarrassing him more than anything as the cooks glanced at them from the other side of the kitchen.</p><p>“There, there, no need for such formality… Just make sure to send me some as soon as they are ready, ok? Especially the orange ones, I really liked those.”</p><p>Hinata vigorously shook her head, a blissful smile enlightening her face. “I’ll make as many as I can for you!”</p><p>What a strange man. She couldn’t believe he had come in person to ask her for such a trivial thing. When the Tsuchikage wanted a specific dish or treat, she would just send someone from her staff over to tell them. And that person would respectfully wait at the door, careful not to trespass the sacred threshold of their lair. Not show up in person and start a riot!</p><p>The Staff man signaled Kakashi that it was time for them to head back to their office and they took their leave from Hinata. As she escorted them to the entrance though, the Hokage suddenly stopped, grabbing her arm as he seemed to remember something.</p><p>“Your sister told me that you have read the books on which the <em>Power of Fire</em> drama is based on, is that right?”</p><p><br/>What.</p><p><br/>“I’m a big fan of the show, but the fourth season isn’t out yet” he quickly explained, looking way too over-enthusiastic given his Kage position for such a show in Hinata’s opinion. “Is Simon really going to defect and leave Nathaniel and Sara behind to join this Oleg guy? He’s obviously the bad guy I mean and -”</p><p>“Enough!” Yelled his man, clenching Kakashi’s arm to start pulling his boss throughout the corridor towards the elevator, Hinata covering her face as best as she could to hide her shocked expression. As Kakashi more than reluctantly followed him, his eyes begged Hinata for an answer. She chuckled and cupped her hands around her mouth to project her timid voice across the hallway. “Yes!”</p><p>Kakashi raised a thumb up to signal her he had heard her answer, and his assistant shoved him unceremoniously into the metal cabin.</p><p>“Wait, does Nathaniel end up with Sara or Hanne?” He managed to shriek as the doors closed behind him.</p><p>It took a few seconds for Hinata to recover from such a scene. She had always considered Kurotsuchi to be quite an eccentric character, but apparently, Kakashi Hatake would not let himself be outdone. What kind of Kage would be so unapologetic about his taste in front of all his low-level employees? </p><p>But to think of it… His poor staff had probably quite a lot on their plate with him. Was being quirky a necessary trait to become a Kage? She wondered. </p><p>She turned around to rejoin the kitchen and her station, and noticed with surprise two of her colleagues watching out shyly for her at the door. </p><p>“So… Does Nathaniel end up with Sara or Hanne?” One of them asked, timidly. </p><p>Hinata beamed. Maybe her new crew wasn’t going to be as awful as she had feared?</p><p> </p><p><br/>It was around 8 p.m. when Chef Eri signaled her that she could leave, telling her to enjoy her last free evening in a long time. Hinata needed no persuading. Quickly changing back to her casual clothes in the staff’s locker room, she gave Hanabi a call as previously agreed and the sisters arranged to meet in the lobby of the Palace. She gathered her stuff and rushed through the main hall of the sixth floor, reaching for the stairs that she hurtled down as fast as possible. </p><p>Hanabi was already waiting for her, a delightful expression on her face, but she wasn’t alone. Konohamaru and another silhouette were standing next to her, chatting. Hinata’s heart skipped a beat at the sight of sandy locks of hair.</p><p>“Konohamaru, Naruto! What a pleasure to see you two”, she politely greeted them, trying to hide how much <em>not</em> a pleasure it actually was to see their faces and ignoring the blood already rushing to her face and neck. They both turned around to smile at her and, as Konohamaru leaned down to hug Hanabi goodbye -to Hinata’s utter dismay-, Naruto stepped in front of her, a large grin on his sunny face.</p><p>“Hinata!” His raspy voice was like sweet, sweet music to her ears. <em>You’re not interested, you're not interested, you’re gonna leave this place fast and everything will be alright…</em> She stared stupidly at his face for a second, too captivated by his oh-so perfect fa- <em>Danger zone, danger zone, do not think that!</em></p><p>“How was your first day?” He then asked her, and she managed to mutter a semblance of an answer. “Oh, those are for you.”</p><p>And he handed her the weirdest flower bouquet Hinata had ever seen in her life. Each flower was different: a delicate pink peony, a blue hortensia, a yellow yarrow, a couple of chamomile, an orange dahlia, a white avalanche rose, some green bupleurum and an incongruous sunflower, way too big compared to the rest of the arrangement to make the bouquet look harmonious.</p><p>“Sai told me it’s customary to get your friends a congratulation gift on their first day of work, but since I didn’t know which flower you liked best, I decided to go for all of them!” he grinned as he scratched the back of his head, obviously way too proud of his idiocy. </p><p>Hinata was blushing. Hard. She quickly grabbed the bouquet, attending to hide her discomfort in the flowers and largely bowed down to him to thank him, trying her best to ignore how the word “friends” coming out of his mouth cracked her heart.</p><p>He was a considerate person. A considerate colleague. He had gotten her the flowers only because Sai had pointed him out that that was the decorum. If you thought about it, it almost was a bouquet from Sai. It was a kind gesture deprived of any kind of subtext. It had to.</p><p>“Thank you so much, Naruto. This bouquet is quite… Woh.”</p><p>“You don’t like it?” He asked, his smile dropping, disappointment erasing his innocent enthusiasm. Hinata internally bit her tongue. She was so focused on keeping her own feelings at bay that she was behaving like a shrew to him. She vigorously shook her head to prove him wrong and gave him a blooming smile.</p><p>“No, not at all!” She claimed, bringing the bouquet towards her chest to hold it tight, “I love it! It looks so much like you, how could I not?” The young man relaxed, sun shining through the clouds again. </p><p>How dreamy was his smile?</p><p>“Ah, I’m happy then! Ino had to wake up extra early yesterday to open her shop just so I could get it.”</p><p>So that was what Ino was complaining about at dinner the night before.</p><p>“But, for future reference, which one do you like the most?”</p><p>Hinata reflected for a second while scanning the flowers, before picking up the sunflower and holding it out to Naruto.</p><p>“The sunflower”, she announced firmly, “It’s big and warm, and it reminds me of summer.”</p><p>“Big and warm, just like she likes her men!” Chimed in shamelessly Hanabi as she abruptly joined their conversation, Konohamaru nowhere to be seen. “But Mr. Uzumaki, if you’ll excuse us, we gotta go now?” </p><p>“Hanabi!” Hinata protested, shocked by her sister’s lack of manners. Naruto’s lips became a thin line as he gave her one of the most obvious fake smiles Hinata had seen in a long time, but he still nodded.</p><p>“You’re right Hanabi, sorry for holding you girls back. Oh, actually! Before you leave, could I have your number, Hinata? We could catch up during a break at some point this week!” She had absolutely no desire to catch up with him, quite the contrary actually, but in front of such hopeful eyes, she just couldn’t say no. </p><p>They had hardly exchanged numbers that Hanabi was already dragging her outside of the lobby, largely waving at Naruto.</p><p>“Bye Mr. Uzumaki, see you tomorrow!” </p><p>He waved back at them, Hanabi’s brazenness actually making him crack up.</p><p>“B-bye, Naruto!” She stumbled as they left the building, Hanabi still firmly gripping her arm. Their car was already there waiting for them, and her sister bluntly pushed her inside before getting in as well, ignoring Hinata’s whining.</p><p>“What was that all about?” Hanabi asked with a commanding tone while fastening her seatbelt, a hint of blame in her voice. Hinata reddened, her voice raising at least one octave. </p><p>“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”</p><p>“Pull the other one, Hina!” </p><p>Hanabi leaned over, her eyes scrutinizing Hinata’s face. “Oh, Naruto!” She said with a honeyed tone, imitating her older sister, “I love it! It looks so much like you, how could I nooot!”</p><p>Hinata turned her body toward her window in a vain attempt to conceal her confusion and, to her relief, Hanabi retreated back to her side of the car.</p><p>“It’s not like that, he just got me the bouquet because we are friends and we have known each other for-”</p><p>“Friends who’d like to baaang” Corrected Hanabi, sarcastic, before getting hit in the face by the sunflower.</p><p>“Hanabi! Stop being so vulgar!”</p><p>“Please, Naruto, bang me right here, right now!” Resumed Hanabi with greater intensity as the two girls fought and laughed the entire ride to the park. </p><p>The housekeeper had nicely packed their cricket equipment into two sports bags and the girls enjoyed the rush of adrenaline that hitting and throwing the red ball procured them until the sky was absolutely pitch black and their bodyguard insisted for them to go home. They agreed that they would do their best to train together at least once a week so as not to lose their grip. Cricket was a huge deal back home in Iwa.</p><p>Actually, before their move, Hinata had never heard about that sport. She could remember really clearly her classmates’ fervor as they discussed it, unknown words she couldn’t grab the meaning of escaping their mouths after every big game, every big tournament. And there were a lot of those. </p><p>She had done what she knew how to do best, open books and study the subject matter. She had learned that crickets did not have rules but laws, and memorized them. She had almost scientifically watched and decrypted old reruns to understand the roll-out of a Twenty20 game, the most popular format there was in Iwa and soon, she was the one explaining all the subtleties of the sport to Hanabi and Kō. Although she had never been quite an active person herself and was way too uncoordinated to be good at it, throwing a ball at someone’s face or hitting it back as hard that you could act like an incredibly satisfying way to let the steam off. Soon, their father had bought them all the equipment they could ever need and VIP season passes for the girls to assist to every game of their favorite female team.</p><p>Though Hiashi Hyūga didn’t care for these foreign forms of entertainment, he had obviously deemed cricket noble and empowering enough to let his daughters practice it, which was said a lot about the virtues of this sport.</p><p>That night, as she almost instantly fell asleep, Hinata started to hope that maybe, maybe, those six months wouldn’t be as awful as she had feared.</p><p> </p><p><br/>Hinata and Hanabi got accustomed surprisingly fast to their new lifestyle.</p><p>Most mornings, they would wake up around the same time and share their breakfast before being chauffeured to work. Hinata especially cherished those moments, as her work schedule wouldn’t usually grant them another moment together on her shift days. At least once a week, they would manage to hit the park as promised in order to play cricket together and, as soon as the fourth season of their show started airing again, they would wait for one another to watch it together in their home cinema, usually with friends. </p><p>It wasn’t unusual anymore for Hinata either to come home late at night and find Hanabi curled up on a couch with Konohamaru, Moegi and Udon, the four of them eating, drinking, watching TV or just lightly chatting. No matter how much Hinata secretly disapproved of Konohamaru’s immodest behavior towards her sister, she actually was happy to see Hanabi surrounded by people instead of alone like her in the past.</p><p>On her days off, when she wasn’t actually <em>at work</em> training for her competition, she would often visit Tenten and go with her and Guy to the Hyūga compound to see Neji, or have lunch with Shino and Kiba.</p><p>Back at the Hokages’ Palace, she had settled into a familiar routine. She knew everyone’s name in the kitchen and everyone knew hers. She had figured out the right pace to deliver her desserts on time for each service and even set enough time aside every day to train or train Toneri, the young commis that had volunteered to assist her. </p><p>He was more than eager to learn anything Hinata could teach him, which was something she found unexpectedly pleasant. He was sweet and innocent, his eyes sparkling with some kind of ingenuity every time she showed him a new skill, and she had wondered many times if that was how she looked like in front of Chef Taiseki. </p><p>“Chef Hyūga, you’re so amazing” he complimented her for the umpteenth time as she demonstrated to him how to delicately put together a chocolate flower. She chuckled at his use of “Chef Hyūga” and at his innocent admiration of something she now deemed so easy to do. </p><p>“It’s ‘Hinata’, Toneri. I’m not even a Chef!” She corrected him, before offering to let him add the last petal to her workpiece.</p><p>Something she hadn’t anticipated though was the unforeseen amount of Shikamaru she was getting. Caustic, apathetic, he kept popping up in the kitchen almost every night on his sacred evening break for a game of cards, a quick power nap on the floor of her station or just to listen to the light chatter of colleagues whose worries and preoccupations were a thousand miles away from his. Though this had unnerved her at first, Hinata had grown accustomed to his 20 minutes silent presence by her side every night, having figured out that he probably just needed a change of scenery to fully recharge before heading back to the eighth floor. </p><p>Luckily for her, Naruto didn’t have such time on his hands apparently. According to Shikamaru, he was overloaded with work and Hanabi’s mentoring, which successfully kept him away from her, apart from that one time he had dumped three colleagues on the third floor after seeing her face in the elevator, jumping in quickly to catch up with her, oblivious to the people he was jostling to access her. After he had walked her to the kitchen, he had mentioned that they needed to see each longer, but had obviously never found the time nor the energy to follow through with that promise.</p><p>Working the night shift also wasn’t as dreadful as expected. Though working almost 24 hours in one go was taxing indeed, night shift had soon become a favorite of hers; nothing much was happening, which gave her plenty of time to practice in peace, and being in the kitchen with only two other colleagues at a time was giving her a good opportunity to get to know everyone a bit better. </p><p>One night, as she was in the middle of mixing together some honey, sugar, egg whites, grounded almonds and pistachios to make nougat, the loud ring of the red phone caught her attention, waking up her sleepy colleagues behind her. One of them hastily made it to the phone, repressing a yawn as they answered. “Catering Department, sixth floor, what may we do you for? … It’s already on its way, Chief of Staff. Always a pleasure, Chief of Staff.” They hung up and yelled to the two others “One full dinner, three light meals and a treat assortment for the Hokage’s office, let’s go!” </p><p>Hinata and her other colleague nodded, knowing what they had to do. She dropped her mixture as she rushed to her fridge to get out four mini orange-chocolate mousse charlottes to plate before selecting a variety of confections for the assortment tray. Her encounter with the lord Hokage on her first day had been far from her last and ever since, he had had her called into his office to try quite a hefty amount of her creations, never skimping on feedbacks, to the point where she instinctively knew now which ones he would or would not like. Actually, now that she thought about it, almost all of her weekly confections -and she was producing a lot of those- ended up on the eighth floor. At this rate, the Hokage would be diagnosed with diabetes before the end of her stay. </p><p>“Who’s bringing the kart upstairs?” One of her colleagues asked once they had plated everything and carefully dropped them on their kitchen trolley. Because service was so slow at night, none of the waiters were actually required to stay and it was up to the cooking staff to deliver the food to the Hokage’s office. Hinata took off her dirty apron. “I don’t mind doing it, I need a break from here.”</p><p>“Thanks, Hyūga!” Chorused her colleagues as they rushed back to their napping spot. Hinata gently smiled before starting to push the trolley outside the kitchen. “I’m taking some of that with me as well!” She informed them while grabbing two extra bowls of soup and portions of rice. They hummed their agreement and she headed lightly to the elevator. </p><p>The eighth floor had a different layout from the rest of the levels of the building, especially because, as you got out of the lift, you would find yourself not in a hallway but in a small entrance, guarded by one of the Hokage’s guard platoon men. </p><p>“Good evening, Raidō”, she politely greeted the stern bodyguard with the wear-like scar covering half of his face as she got her trolley outside of the metal cabin. “How are we doing tonight?”</p><p>The intimidating figure welcomed her with a ghost of a smile which, as Hinata had come to understand, was already an incredible display of affection coming from him.</p><p>“We are doing good, Hinata, and you?” She showed him the food on the trolley, and he nodded. He then grabbed the handheld transceiver hanging on his belt and pressed the push-to-call button, seemingly to communicate with someone on the other side of the door.</p><p>“Raidō Namiashi for the CP. I have Hinata Hyūga from the Food department who’s waiting to deliver a meal to lord Hatake. Do you copy?”</p><p>“CP to Raidō Namiashi, copy that. I’ll be there in a minute. Over”, answered a male voice. Raidō opened for her the large and thick door that was keeping unwanted visitors away, and Hinata handed him a portion of soup and rice in a polite bow.</p><p>“It’s not much but I thought you may be hungry.”</p><p>Raidō rolled his eyes at her, grumbling that she shouldn’t have before letting her inside the secured corridor, where she had to wait for her escort. She soon spotted Iwashi Tatami running towards her from the other side, the effort softening his austere features. “Miss Hyūga.”</p><p>He then proceeded with tasting all the food she was bringing, something that always deeply saddened her: nothing was gloomier than a beautifully plated dish or dessert someone had obviously taken a bite of before.</p><p>“That’s for me?” He then asked as he wiped his mouth, pointing at the soup and rice. </p><p>“Is it ok for you to have it? I gave some to Raidō already”, she voiced with concern as he hastily grabbed the bowls. “Yeah, it’ll be fine, Genma is there as well and he had food from outside so one of us at least will survive the night.”</p><p>He smirked at her and they shared a brief laugh as they walked down the hallway, the trolley clinging by their side. </p><p>The eighth floor didn’t just host the Hokage and his assistants but the Anbu and ISD as well, whose members stayed apart from the rest of the building staff. Once at Kakashi’s door, they knocked and Iwashi helped her carefully bring the plates inside.</p><p>As she stepped inside the Hokage’s office, her eyes darted around the now-familiar place. In front of her, a massive desk buried under a ton of documents, booklets and reports dominated the room from its central position. On her right, a meeting table with ten chairs around it still bore the dinner’s leftovers and, on her right, two small couches and two armchairs were positioned around a square coffee table, probably for the more “informal” meetings and conversations.</p><p>Kakashi Hatake and his first assistant -whose name she had learned in-between-, Yamato, were seated on the two armchairs, talking with a dark-looking man whose ineffable look and emo aura hit her like a train at full speed. </p><p>He hadn’t changed at all since high school. </p><p>She didn’t even know he was working there as well.</p><p>Rumor had it that Sakura and he were engaged in an on-again, off-again kind of relationship.</p><p>Sasuke Uchiha.</p><p>“Great, the food is there!” Welcomed the Hokage as she dropped the different plates on the coffee table, Sasuke not batting an eyelid at her sight even once. He probably didn’t recognize nor even remember her. Perfect.</p><p>“Hinata, what a pleasure to see you”, continued on blabbing Kakashi, obviously ignoring Yamato dark looks, “Have you watched the last episode yet? The way the storm wizards showed up right on time to help the heroes defeated the necroman- outch!”</p><p>Yamato had run out of patience and was pinching the Hokage’s arm, much to Hinata’s dismay.</p><p>“Do I really have to formally ban Miss Hyūga from accessing this floor for you to finally focus and work?” He openly chastised Kakashi. After a kick bickering and as Hinata was set up the food as fast as she possibly could, the two men left the room to settle their argument in a more private place. </p><p>Hinata dutifully bowed at them as they exited the room and was about to follow them when Sasuke looked in her direction, his dead eyes piercing through the back of her head as she cleared the conference room from the old leftover plates in a hurry.</p><p>“Thank you for the food.”</p><p>She couldn’t believe her ears. Had Sasuke, the Sasuke that had never dared to exchange a word with her during their teenage, that was always acting way too scary and haughty for Hinata, the one that was apparently leaving Sakura a living wreck at every turn of their relationship, been <em>polite</em> to her?</p><p>“I didn’t cook it all by myself.” Her tone was usually harsh, her words sharp and unforgiving. He hadn’t been rude to her. Nor mean. Nor anything. He hadn't done anything to deserve such bad manners. But Sakura was her friend, and Hinata knew from years of girly tv shows that in this kind of situation, she needed to pick a side. </p><p>“Plus, there isn’t such a thing as a free meal, so do not thank me.”</p><p>And with these words, she exited the office, prouder of herself for bullying a poor guy than she had any right to be, but Hinata prided herself on being a good friend.</p><p>Her phone buzzing in her back pocket distracted her as she was reaching for the door to close it behind her and she grabbed it, curious on who could text her so late at night.</p><p>“<em>Hey Hinata, your sister told me you’re off on Wednesday, wanna grab some dinner? :)</em><br/><em>My treat ;)</em>” </p><p>If Hinata did not believe in karma before, she sure as hell did after reading that text. The universe always punished bad behaviors like hers. Always. </p><p>“I guess you’re right”, resonated Sasuke’s deep voice all around Hinata as she angrily slammed the door behind her -which, from Hinata, actually consisted in closing it normally. “Nothing is more expensive than a free meal.”</p><p>Why did you have to choose today of all days to be assertive and open that tiny mouth of yours, hum, Hinata? She thought as she headed back to the kitchen in silence, Naruto’s text still burning her right cheek through the thick fabric of her working pants.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Congratulations on making it till the end!</p><p>I know our two protagonists haven't shared that many moments together yet, but I promise this will change soon (just be patient, please 🙏)</p><p>Was the ending rushed? Probably a little, but after rewriting it four times, I honestly thought it wouldn't get much better.</p><p>I would also like to thank all of you for clicking on my story, leaving me a kudos or even a comment -you truly keep me going!</p><p>See you next time!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0004"><h2>4. A feeling called 'home'</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Hey everyone!</p><p>I'm back with a new chapter! I've completely given up on trying to keep it short cause, let's face it, it seems like my thing is to make looong chapters. I hope you still manage to enjoy it!</p><p>This time, we're following our favorite clueless blond.</p><p>Enjoy ^_^</p><p> </p><p>
  <i>[08/01/21: Minor edit to correct typos and fix the formatting]</i>
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    <p>Naruto was a simple man.</p><p>He wanted to eat, he’d have ramen. <br/>He wanted to sleep, he’d take a nap on his desk. <br/>He wanted to become Hokage, he became one of his assistants. <br/>He wanted a change of scenery for a couple of hours, he’d go bother Sakura at work. <br/>He wanted to make friends with Hinata, he asked Sai for advice.</p><p>“Wait here for a second, I know I have a book about it…”</p><p>After carefully grabbing the book and putting it in his bag, handling it like it was a gold bar, he had thanked Sai and rushed home to study it, ready to immerse himself in its teaching. </p><p>First, the book suggested getting the targeted friend a gift to warm them up to you. A couple of chapters later, it said right there at the end of a page that it was customary to get your targeted friend a gift on their first day at a new job, or in a new house. Naruto frowned. Seemed like the keyword here was “gift”... Alright, but what gift?</p><p>Fortunately for him, an entire chapter of Sai’s book was devoted to gifts according to gender and the intentions behind them. Under the ‘female friend’ category, the book had actually listed quite a long list of items but Naruto’s pouting only grew as his eyes went down the page. </p><p>The first suggestion was chocolate, but he ruled that one out straight away. After all, Hinata was a chocolate… person maker, or whatever the name was. Next.</p><p>Stuff toy? She was a refined adult, not a teen anymore. Jewelry? That may be a bit too much for what he had in mind. Flowers?</p><p>Naruto raised an eyebrow, his thoughts suddenly boiling. Flowers could be an idea.<br/>Flowers could literally mean anything from “Sorry I screwed up” to “I love you”, it was innocent enough for her not to refuse them and way too convenient for him to buy some anywhere. He closed the book, dropping it on his nightstand before turning the lights off, and laid down in his bed, the feeling of having accomplished his mission spreading through his body. He grinned. Flowers it was.</p><p>He took a deep breath as he sank into the mattress, the first time in actually <em>ten days</em>. With his work making up most of his awake time, he was barely ever home and only dropped by when he really needed some new clothes or if Yamato had kicked him out of the Hokages’ Palace. </p><p>This situation actually didn’t bother him that much. He lived in the same apartment he had spent most of his life in, surrounded by the same furniture, familiar scents and comforting walls -alone. Nothing ever moved around here. Each time he would set foot in his flat again, it was like time had stood still in his absence and as the years went by, that feeling had only made him more and more depressed. No one was waiting for him here; actually, he felt like he could be sleeping anywhere else without feeling more or less at home than in his own bed, in his bedroom, in his house. This place was nothing special to him. </p><p>That was probably why he didn’t care about spending time here.</p><p>Shikamaru had valid reasons to go home, even to look forward to it as he had Temari -no matter how scary she was. And Sai had Ino. Damn it, even Sakura had a nice dinner and a freshly made bed to head home too for she lived with her parents! </p><p>Naruto sighed. Should he get a cat?</p><p>A sudden flash of Kiba and Tamaki, surrounded by their thousands of meowing pets, sent a shiver down his spine and he waved that idea off as quickly as possible. Moreover, the poor thing would die from loneliness and starvation within a month in this hellish place, so a cat was out of the picture.</p><p>When his alarm went off at the first streak of dawn, he got up straight away, shaped by years of barely any sleep and, after packing all the fresh clothes his cleaning lady -one of the few luxuries he allowed for himself- had religiously folded and put away in his drawer, he left the cold and impersonal flat, leaving behind a mountain of dirty white shirts and pantsuits in the hamper.</p><p>It was only once in front of the “We’re closed” sign on the Yamanaka flower shop door that he realized that, maybe, <em>maybe</em>, not everyone had a life schedule as messed up as his. A quick check on their website taught him that they wouldn’t actually open before a couple of hours and Naruto, who just did not have that kind of time on his hands, decided it was probably better to wake Ino up for her to quickly open the shop just for him.</p><p>“Naruto, you really cannot just barge in at any time, expecting people to do as you please! This is not okay!” Lectured him Ino as she let him inside the store, her pink silky robe thrown over her pajamas, her face looking almost unrecognizable without her usual make-up on. </p><p>“But Ino”, he interrupted her with an innocent grin, “Aren’t you exactly doing as I please right now? So why would I-” Her death stare deterred him from finishing that sentence. “I mean, it’s so kind of you to open just for me Ino, thank you so much!” He spluttered, trying to save face, his right hand nervously scratching his neck.</p><p>“What flowers do you want” she snarled, her dark expression making him instinctively take a step back. </p><p>To be honest, he hadn’t really thought about it.</p><p>“Hum, I don’t know, I guess I believed you could have helped me pick something nice?” Her pout got bigger. Wrong answer, obviously.</p><p>He looked around, trying to come up with a quick suggestion that would allow him to escape Ino’s wrath as fast as possible.</p><p>“What about those ones?” He suggested with a big smile while pointing at some pretty white flowers sitting in a corner of the shop. Ino rolled her eyes and let out a big sigh, defeated.</p><p>“Yeah sure, if you’re going for that sweet funeral vibe!” She mocked him with a sardonic smile, her arms crossed under her breast, her back resting against the entrance door. “Who are those flowers for anyway? I’ve never seen you drop by my shop to buy anything else than those Peruvian Lilies for Sakura’s birthdays.” </p><p>Naruto didn’t know how to answer that. He didn’t particularly feel like he had to hide that the flowers were for Hinata per se -after all, he was just getting her a bouquet as he did for his pink friend every year, and it didn’t have to mean something, right?- but the painful memory of Shikamaru and Sakura’ smirky faces from their after-wedding dinner still resonated quite vividly in his brain.</p><p>“Oh, just some colleague of mine” he mumbled, praying the heavens for Ino to buy his lame explanation. </p><p>Unfortunately for him, it only seemed to stir up her curiosity.</p><p>“That’s new” she commented, a suspicious glare scanning Naruto’s face as he hastily pretended to look at some ugly thistle. “Does that colleague have a name?”</p><p>Naruto felt a sudden wave of panic overtake his body. He was not the best liar and the longer this conversation would last, the harder it would be for him to stick to his story. He looked around frantically, desperate for a surge of inspiration.</p><p>“Hana! Her name’s Hana!” He shouted, his mouth spitting out the first name he could think of. Ino rolled her eyes at him again.</p><p>“Her name’s Hana and you’re getting her flowers? How original.” </p><p>Naruto gave her a weak laugh by way of an apology and even though he could feel her judging him <em>hard</em>, he did not pursue the subject any further, too happy to see that Ino had fallen for it. She then proceeded with suggesting to him various blooms that, according to her, complimented each other nicely in a bouquet but he dismissed them all. Their little conversation had made him realize that he always let her pick the flowers he was getting for Sakura, no matter his opinion about them, and although he usually actually didn’t care, if he was to give flowers to Hinata, he had to make sure to pick up only the prettiest ones this time. He couldn’t really explain it, but he felt an urge to get her only the best bouquet available -something he had never bothered doing with Sakura. </p><p>After a couple of turns around the shop, he had gathered enough flowers for Ino to work her magic and tie them all nicely together: there was a big blueish one that looked incredibly fancy and delicate, just like their recipient; a couple of white roses, because he had never seen white roses before and thought maybe they were rare; a yellow bloom in the shape of a cloud, because they were bright and original; some of those common countryside flowers that you would gather on a sunny Sunday afternoon in the mountains and that reminded him of holidays, and a sunflower. </p><p>“Are you <em>sure</em> about that?” Asked Ino, bewildered at the sight of the sunflower, her judgy tone accentuating the ‘sure’ to make him fully aware that this was a bad decision. Naruto firmly stood his ground. For some reason, just by looking at it, he could already picture Hinata’s gentle smile when she would see it, which was reason enough for him to add to the mix. He graciously put up with Ino’s growling as she prepared the bouquet for him, already playing the next day’s scenario in his head. As soon as she finished, Ino kicked him out of her shop to head back to sleep, the door slamming in Naruto’s face as he was thanking her for her help, and the young blond man enthusiastically left for work, his eyes lingering again and again on the bouquet that he had put in a vase with some water on his desk all day long, oblivious to Shikamaru and Yamato’s disconcerted looks.</p><p>Monday morning could never get there soon enough.</p><p> </p><p>“Why can’t I go welcome Hanabi myself? I’m her mentor, after all!” Adamantly complained Naruto on the next day as Shikamaru was getting up, following Yamato’s orders. He tried to avoid the <em>Consumer and Borrower Protection to Contractors’ Bonds</em> that abruptly swung his way but his dodging skills were no match for the Hokage’s Chief of Staff, and his face contracted at the painful meeting of the hardcover with his skull. </p><p>“You seem way too eager to do so, which is completely suspicious coming from you. That’s why I’m sending Shikamaru instead.” Yamato side glanced at Konohamaru who promptly immersed himself in a report, a distrustful expression on his face. “HR doesn’t need a parade of Hyūga fanboys first thing in the morning.”</p><p>Both Naruto and Konohamaru immediately protested the unfair statement, displaying an overly offended look.</p><p>“Not at all, Chief of Staff Yamato! Plus I barely know her, I just happened to bump into her and her sister on my way to work!”</p><p>“Hinata and I went to school together! We’re just friends!”</p><p>Naruto saw the blow coming for him again, but did nothing to stop it this time. His sudden outburst only made Yamato’s case more compelling and he knew it. It was justified, he could take it.</p><p>As he rubbed the back of his aching head, his thoughts fogged up by the snickering pain, he decided to suffer in silence and wait. Surely enough, he could manage to find a more auspicious time today to sneak out of the office and give Hinata the flowers... Naruto’s lips dropped in a pout at the sudden realization that he didn’t have her phone number, which would make it difficult for him to meet up with her. In last resort, he could always drop by the sixth-floor kitchen unannounced, but this was really a worst-case scenario: stepping into the unknown and mysterious kingdom of the food people, uninvited, was probably more than his nerves could ever take.</p><p>About ten minutes later, Shikamaru reentered the office, followed by an average-height brunette whose crystal clear lavender eyes couldn’t go unnoticed.</p><p>Naruto jumped out of his chair, blood rushing to his head in a heartbeat after having remained seated for so many hours, and his legs automatically walked him toward her, his right hand sticking out on his own for her to shake it. To his relief, she wasn’t wearing her traditional Earth outfit today.</p><p>Hanabi Hyūga wasn’t what Naruto would call a “beauty”. Sure, she was tall, fine and athletic and her facial features weren’t all that bad but her brown stringy hair kept getting in her face and she emitted such an aura of self-importance that Naruto could practically see it shine around her. Her eyes -although the same ethereal color as her sister’s- seemed almost too small for her face and her jawline was too pronounced. Or maybe, the sole fact that she wasn’t her sister slanted his judgment.</p><p>“My name’s Naruto Uzumaki” he said, introducing himself again as he tried his best to project confidence, his spine as straight as possible to look his tallest. “We’ve met before in Iwagakure and I will be the one mentoring you for the time of your internship.”</p><p>Hanabi gave him a bright smile and shook his hand in a much more gentle way than he would have had expected from her, before bowing at Konohamaru and Yamato.</p><p>“Hanabi Hyūga, it’s an honor for me to benefit from your guidance, Sir.”</p><p>Hearing her refer to him as “sir” felt incredibly awkward and cringy, but Naruto simply gave her an encouraging smile and welcomed her in the office. After all, one day, if things went according to plan… Everyone would call him this way, so he better had to get used to it.</p><p>As her mentor, it was Naruto’s responsibility to give Hanabi a tour of their floor and to get her settled down; because there was virtually no space on his and Shikamaru’s desk, they had to bring in an extra one that they swiftly stole from an Anbu office across the hall, taking advantage of the absence of their owner to cover their crime, before introducing her to the people the Hokage staff worked with on a daily basis.</p><p>Then, after a day spent leaning over her shoulder to show her how to navigate the internal network, where to find documents and what were her tasks, he finally decided around 6:30 p.m. that she had had a long day enough as it was and dismissed her.</p><p>“Go home Hanabi, you’re an intern, take advantage of it”, he told her with a grin, expecting her to package her stuff and leave as quickly as possible. Somewhere out of his sight, he could hear Konohamaru complaining behind his teeth that no one had ever said such a thing to him, earning himself a knock on the head from Yamato.</p><p>Hanabi looked at him, her tired lavender eyes smiling. “Thank you, Mr. Uzumaki, but I’m waiting for my sister anyway tonight so, if that’s ok with you, as long as she is still working, I’d rather stay here myself.”  </p><p>To the mention of the word “sister”, Naruto suddenly remembered the flowers that had been sitting on his desk for the past thirty-five hours. He had been so busy with Hanabi all day long that he had forgotten about Hinata and giving her the bouquet. For a second, he almost felt embarrassed about it.</p><p>“Do you mind if I come with you to meet your sister once she’s done, then?” He inquired, his throat feeling weirdly dry. Hanabi raised a questioning eyebrow.</p><p>“We’re friends you see” he justified hastily, worried to be mistaken for a stalker on his intern’s first day, “we’ve known each other since middle school with Hinata and Shikamaru!”</p><p>After the surprise came the suspicious stare. </p><p>“Oh, really?” She carefully asked, giving Shikamaru on the other side of the desk a side glance to seek confirmation of what seemed like an improbable truth to her, apparently. To Naruto’s relief, his friend gave her a nod of the head, a sly smile on his lips.</p><p>“It’s strange though”, thought out loud Hanabi, her clouded eyes miles away from the office, “I don’t remember Hina ever mentioning you before.” </p><p>Naruto gave her a hollow laugh, his chest feeling strangely too tight for his heart as he buried himself in work again. True, his relationship with Hinata could barely be qualified as friendship but he didn’t enjoy being reminded of it. </p><p>The subtle interaction between his new intern and his colleague had immediately reminded him of the fact that Hinata had never bothered trying to keep in touch with him when even <em>Shikamaru of all people</em> had been invited to visit her in Iwa, awakening an unfamiliar feeling that plunged him into a broody mood. For a minute, he actually considered not giving her the blooms, before eating his words; the thought of not seeing the smile he had pictured for two days straight was worse than the blow his ego had taken. </p><p>If she didn’t consider him a friend before, it was up to him to make her see him as one now.</p><p>The vibrations of Hanabi’s phone over an hour later startled Naruto, overly engrossed in a report about upcoming changes in the legislation regarding the status of some Fire administrative officers. His heart started racing, but he couldn’t really figure out a logical reason why. He talked to people all the time, and even though not everyone he met would count themselves as members of the Naruto Fanclub, he knew he could probably count on both hands the ones that didn’t like him.</p><p>He watched Konohamaru and Hanabi get up as one, the phone’s light buzzing discharging them from work as the ring of the school bell at the end of a class and Naruto cautiously grabbed his bouquet, trying his best to ignore Shikamaru’ smirk.</p><p>“So, Hanabi, where are you and your sister’s heading together? Dinner?” Asked Konohamaru as they reached the lobby, Hinata out of sight. Was she still on the sixth floor?</p><p>“We’re actually going to hit the park and practice our cricket moves together!” Enthusiastically answered Hanabi while flipping her long hair over her shoulder and right in Naruto’s face, “It’s like the national sport in Earth Country and we are really into it.”</p><p>Naruto blinked, a dumbfounded look on his face -and not from the hair that had whipped his face a second earlier. What had he said in front of Hinata and Tenten about cricket at Sai’s wedding? Something along the lines of “lamest sport ever”? Discomfort grew in his stomach in the form of a knot. What a moron.</p><p>He didn’t have time to wallow in self-pity furthermore, however. The bell of the elevator reached their ears, and as they turned around to check on the people walking out of it, the prettiest pair of eyes he had ever seen in his life dived right into his, bottomless pits of gentleness, trust and comfort. For a quick second, he forgot to breathe.</p><p>He couldn’t pinpoint why but, despite her porcelain-like features, royal blue hair clashing on cold marble skin, crystal clear eyes that could pierce through your soul, ethereal aura from another godly reality, she felt <em>warm</em>. Not volcano warm like Sakura or Ino -who obviously had hot lava rushing through their veins- but a serene, discreetly glowing kind of warmth, a warmth you couldn’t feel at first but that slowly but surely surrounded you until you were completely wrapped in it, leaving you wondering if it had always been there. A familiar kind of warmth.</p><p>She walked towards them. She acknowledged Konohamaru first. Cool. <em>Cool cool cool cool cool.</em> He asked her about her day. Some weird sound came out of her throat. He gave her the flowers. She blushed and tried to hide her embarrassment behind the bouquet. He grinned largely, for it was unimaginably cute. She thanked him, and then said something that made him think she actually didn’t like the flowers. He frowned. She noticed it. She assured him she did, she truly did, in fact, she even said <em>I love it. It looks so much like you, how could I not?</em> He felt relieved. He asked her which flowers were her favorites, just in case. Not like he would have any reasons to buy Hinata flowers in the future, no. But you never knew. She showed him the sunflower. He did his best to repress a triumphant smile. Take that, Ino. Then, way too quickly to his liking, Hanabi interrupted them. The girls had to go. Fair enough. He suddenly remembered he didn’t have her phone number. Not that he would have any reasons to text Hinata in the future, no no. But you never knew. She blushed at the request. Again. But she complied. And then left.</p><p>The lobby felt cold and gloomy.</p><p>Days went by, then weeks, without Naruto and Hinata having any kind of contact together, apart from a two-minute elevator ride one afternoon -but that didn’t mean he wasn’t thinking about her. Every so often, her smile, the way she batted her eyelashes, the ring of her sweet laughter would make their way through his work thoughts, and he’d wondered how she was doing, two stories beneath him.</p><p>From time to time, he tried to subtly ask Hanabi about her sister, his voice and tone as casual as one could be, shrugging whenever she suspiciously asked him why he cared. He also knew that she had hefty amounts of meetings with Kakashi, who seemed to be on track to break the record of the most ingested chocolate confections in a day. </p><p>The Hokage Staff was used to their leader’s various quirks: they had grown accustomed to the overly inappropriate fanfictions on his computer and the mommy porn books nonchalantly left in plain sight for the world to see in his office. They were used to the fact that, if Kakashi didn’t feel like working, nothing and no one could make him move a finger. They even had embraced his tardiness. But the chocolate… That was an entirely new level of crazy.</p><p>“The medical staff is worried about your health. We all are, lord Hokage”, had started off their daily meeting Yamato in early June. “The situation has spiraled out of control.”</p><p>With an air of defiance, Kakashi pinched his mask, pulling it away from his face enough for his fingers to swiftly access his mouth and feed it a piece of gianduja.</p><p>“The only reason why I work out is to be able to eat whatever I feel like”, answered the Hokage, a malicious look in his eyes as his hand was reaching for his fourth piece since the start of their meeting. Konohamaru and Hanabi, now all too familiar with the signs of an upcoming argument, rushed outside of the office to make sure no one was around nor could hear their bosses screaming at one another.</p><p>Even though Naruto had absolutely no interest in confections, not a living soul that worked with Kakashi 18 hours a day could ignore its nuances. </p><p>You had your chocolate palets which looked like thick coins, your classic chocolate bars, your bonbons filled with whatever oversweet stuffing your chocolatier could get their hands on, but also your nougat, your fudge, your fruit jelly, your marzipan and your lozenge, a candy so irremediably disgusting that Naruto had instinctively spit it straight back in Yamato’s hand the first and last time he was offered to try one. And that was only the tip of the iceberg.</p><p>Hanabi had actually spent an entire hour one afternoon explaining to the boys the different kinds of confections Hinata was producing for their leader, mentioning in passing that all this was but a droplet in the ocean of sweets there were out there.</p><p>“She’s only working on these ones cause that’s what she’ll be judged on during the competition in August”, she notified them casually as Shikamaru and Konohamaru both fought over her demonstration’ samples. </p><p>“The competition?” Naruto asked, hearing about it for the first time. There were actual chocolate... championships? Like, a tournament? Like… What Tenten was doing, but for food? That sounded surreal. </p><p>Hanabi vigorously nodded her head, her hair getting in her face again, a scholar expression on her tiny face.</p><p>“Yes, she’s been training for the past year and a half to compete for the title of “Gaspesia’s Best Craftsman” in chocolate. It’s kinda the food capital of the other continent, and being awarded this title means that you are one of the best classically-trained chefs in the world, according to them. It’s a big thing for these overseas people.”</p><p>Naruto and Konohamaru exchanged a blank look, their brows knitted, as they tried to proceed the amount of information that just came out of the tiny and self-sufficient looking<br/>brunette seating next to them. The word Gaspesia did ring a bell somewhere in Naruto’s memories, and he almost remembered Hinata saying something about studying there. Noticing their empty expression, Hanabi charitably elaborated. </p><p>“Ok, so, here’s the deal” she firmly enunciated as she leaned over the desk towards the two boys, Shikamaru already back to work behind his computer. He either wasn't interested in her explanations, or knew what she was about to tell them already. One or the other. “Every two years, the country of Gaspesia organizes this competition known as <em>Gaspesia’s Best Craftsman</em> that they often shorthand as <em>MOG</em> in their language. Earning this title is considered the highest of honors there and because this country’s food culture is so big on the other continent, being a MOG there means that you can basically work everywhere.”</p><p>“But what about the competition?” Cut her off Konohamaru, impatient. Hanabi tilted her head towards him, eyes looking daggers at him. On the seat next to him, Naruto felt Konohamaru curl up, but he was too intimidated by Hanabi himself to risk a comment himself.</p><p>“So, the thing is, to be awarded the title of MOG, you need to take an exam that is held every other year. First off, you have a first round that is opened to everyone and that lasts three days: on the first day, you have some written exams about kitchen rules and whatever, and then you have two days in the laboratory to produce a chocolate showpiece and a specific amount of different types of confections, and that’s what she’ll be doing in August.”</p><p>“Isn’t it too hot in August to work with chocolate?”</p><p>“It’s the middle of winter over there, use your brain once in a while, Sarutobi”, snapped a voice coming from behind Shikamaru’s screen, who crouched so much over his keyboard that the only visible part of him was his hair. Hanabi snorted loudly and they all chuckled at the sass before going back to work, revived from such a long but welcomed break.</p><p>Much to Naruto’s surprise, he was starting to actually like Hanabi. To their relief, she had proven capable and smart for her young age; not <em>Shikamaru</em> smart, but shrewd-enough-to-always-land-on-her-feet kind of smart. On top of it, she was not easily taken in and had an answer for everything which, doubled with an arrogance only extreme wealth could give you, made her a perfect gladiator for the arena that was the Hokage Staff office. </p><p>Later that night, as Shikamaru was deep asleep under their desk, Yamato’s <em>Consumer and Borrower Protection to Contractors’ Bonds</em> under his head for pillow, Naruto reflected on the afternoon conversation, his face heavily resting in his hands. </p><p>He really didn’t know a thing about Hinata. Before the wedding and their… Whatever that was, she had come across his mind a couple of times over their post-high school years. At first, even if she had moved to another country, she’d still show up to important group gatherings and even if their interactions had confined themselves to a quick “hi” and an unmeaningful “how have you been” or “long time no see!” on his part, they still had some kind of contact. And then, one day, she had just stopped showing up altogether. To be honest, Naruto hadn’t given much thought to it. He had implicitly internalized that she wasn’t a part of their high school group anymore and the very idea that he may or may not ever see her again had never even brushed past him. So why was he feeling so mad at himself now?</p><p>He wished he had acknowledged her. He wished he had listened to the answers that followed his hollow greetings. He wished he had cared. But why?</p><p>He didn’t know her and yet, he felt this weird desire to be a part of her life, even when she was so… foreign to him.</p><p>He breathed out a long plaintive sigh, his head and heart feeling upside down. He took out his phone and looked at the time. 3:26 a.m. He should probably follow Shikamaru’s example. Nothing good could come out of his brain so late at night -or early in the morning, depending on how you saw it.</p><p>Without any particular reason, he pressed “contact”. They hadn’t talked in over a month, and she had made no efforts whatsoever to contact him. Why should he do the next step, then? He even had gotten her <em>flowers</em>. </p><p>But Hanabi had explained to them that Hinata was training really hard for her competition and he knew, for being the one who had to overlook the entire building’s schedules at the end of every month, that she was doing her fair share of hours. Maybe she hadn’t found the time to get in touch with him? Or maybe she had heard that he was doing insane hours too and didn’t want to be a burden -could that be a thing? </p><p>Gathering his courage, he started typing a text.</p><p>“<em>Hello Hinata, this is Naruto! I thought you would appreciate also seeing people that aren’t wearing some kind of fancy kitchen jackets, so how about you and I have dinner together on Wednesday to catch up?</em>”</p><p>He grouched. Too long. He had to come up with something better.</p><p>“<em>Yo Hinata, dinner at 19h on Wednesday?</em>”</p><p>He grumbled. Too cringy. He wasn’t some rapper trying to play it cool with the ladies.</p><p>“<em>Hey Hinata, your sister told me you’re off on Wednesday, wanna go grab dinner? :)</em><br/><em>My treat ;)</em>” </p><p>That was already better, but Naruto wasn’t too sure about the extensive use of emojis.</p><p>“<em>Hey Hinata, your sister told me you’re off on Wednesday, wanna go grab dinner?</em><br/><em>My treat</em>” </p><p>Hum. Wasn’t it better with the emojis? He got the feeling that the text felt a bit harsh without them, but maybe it was just him. He didn’t want Hinata to think of him as an old wannabe millennial. To be between the devil and the deep blue sea…</p><p>He moved his seat backward to stare at Shikamaru sleeping next to his feet under their desk and, without any warning, gave him a kick of the heel in the chin to wake him up. Shikamaru moaned but didn’t bother to move.</p><p>“I’m sleeping, you moron”, he snarled.</p><p>“Shika, emojis in a text message: yes or no?” Pressed Naruto with a low voice, not wanting to bother his friend and colleague <em>too</em> much. </p><p>“Ask me another dumb question like that and you’ll regret it”, warned Shikamaru, his sleepy voice raising up.</p><p>A big smirk grew on Naruto’s face. “Oh, so, you think it’s better with emojis too?” he replied with a hypocritical naive tone, letting out a snigger as he avoided his friend’s kick under the desk.</p><p>Deciding that Shikamaru had had enough, he focused his attention back on his phone screen. On second thoughts, the emoji text looked actually better. He added them again and pressed “send”. Now all he needed was to wait.</p><p>His phone buzzed practically instantly and Naruto literally threw himself at it to read the text, but his excitement deflated almost as quickly when he saw the name of the contact.</p><p>Sasuke Uchiha.</p><p>What was going on for Sasuke to be texting him so late?</p><p>Throughout middle school and high school, Naruto had relentlessly pursued it boy and emotionally repressed loner Sasuke Uchiha, becoming his self-proclaimed best friend on their first day. They had then spent the next seven years together with Sakura, the three of them forming their own kernel within the fruit that was their friends’ group -much to Sasuke’s dismay. At some point, Naruto had thought that, maybe, Sasuke's constant reluctance to engage with him -nor anyone else, for that matter- and snub meant that the dark-haired emo simply didn’t like him, but over time, he had understood that he wasn’t the problem. Sasuke just didn’t like anyone.</p><p>Well, that was obviously an unfair lie, but from time to time, that was how Naruto felt. The seemingly lack of involvement in their friendship, the unshared feelings or opinions, the aggressiveness in his eyes when questioned about his family, Naruto had seen it all and to everyone’s surprise, he had stuck by the Uchiha’ side. Even now that they had become grown-ups and had outgrown their “best friends” label -Shikamaru currently being Naruto’s best friend, no matter how reluctant this former was to do anything beyond breathing- and that Sasuke could simply go away for months without even sending him a text or bother to tell him he was in town once he had returned, Naruto still pushed to be a part of his life. He would be the one to hit his phone every once in a while to check on him. He would be the one defending him with Sakura in front of their other friends. He would be the one to randomly “kidnap” him from work to go grab a bite. He would be the one to do all the talking, to inquire about his life, about things at work. Sasuke almost never reciprocated. But he was the person Naruto had chosen for brother. And on the rare occasions where Sasuke did reciprocate, it meant the world to him. </p><p>“<em>Come to the Lord Hokage’s office. Now.</em>”</p><p>Someone was in a mood.</p><p>Naruto rolled his eyes at his phone, and hesitated for a second before silently getting out of the office, careful not to wake up Shikamaru, still soundly asleep. He then announced himself by a knock on the door before entering Kakashi’s office and, to his surprise, was greeted only by the Uchiha and a masked silhouette sitting in armchairs around a coffee table covered with leftover food.</p><p>“Hey, friend!” Welcomed him the stranger in the monkey porcelain mask, his familiar voice somewhat deadened by the thick mask covering their mouth. Naruto gave them a wide grin as he closed the wooden panel behind him, before joining Sasuke and Sai for a midnight snack.</p><p>Unlike the members of the Intelligence Service Department that changed names every so often for the sake of their missions but still walked out there in the open, the Anbu all wore a mask to preserve their identity at all times. Though they were officially the Hokage’ ‘Special Tactical Squad’, Naruto knew better and they actually resemble a private militia more, carrying on the country’s more shameful and dirty operations. </p><p>Because of the secret nature of their job, the Anbu and ISD members usually told people that they worked as ‘documentation technicians’ -whatever that meant- at the off-site extension on the other side of town, although they rarely left their floor. </p><p>Whether Ino knew the truth or not about her husband’s real occupation remained a mystery to Naruto however, but if she did know the truth, she was certainly doing an excellent job at hiding it.</p><p>“So”, he started as he took his usual seat, which happened to be next to Sai on the couch, an innocent smile on, “Is this why you guys invited me over? For some free food?”</p><p>Sasuke’s pout worsen. “This one forced me to”, he grunted for only explanation, his head vaguely tilting at the Anbu facing him on the other side of the coffee table. </p><p>“Don’t mind him, he’s grumpy”, gleefully slipped Sai to Naruto as he grabbed a bowl of rice and offered it to Naruto who politely declined it, before taking his mask off and digging in it himself. Both Sasuke and Naruto winced at the bold move, but neither of them commented on it. After all, it was just the three of them right now in the spacious Hokage’s office, and even if Kakashi and Yamato were to come back, it was no secret between them that they all knew of each other’s identity. </p><p>Naruto tilted his head a bit at the thought of the Hokage, the Chief of Staff and Sasuke’s text. Where were they actually? It wasn’t like them to leave work without telling Naruto and Shikamaru if they were still around.</p><p>Sasuke must have caught his questioning look as he evenly answered Naruto’s silent interrogation.</p><p>“Genma told me they had to leave unexpectedly for Capital City, escorted by Raidō. The Daimyō requested them.”</p><p>Naruto nodded knowingly. This was plausible enough. Kakashi was running the country’s military forces as well as the diplomatic ones for the Fire Daimyō; if anything was to happen, it only made sense that their leader would have to report instantly to the Fire Lord, even though, in these times of peace, such urgent meetings in the middle of the night were pretty rare. </p><p>Next to Naruto, Sai lowered himself on the couch, getting more comfortable as he shoved rice in his mouth using his fingers, a blissful smile on his face.</p><p>“Then, we can definitely have a boys’ night!” He claimed, way too happy about the idea, Naruto trying hard to stifle his laughter. Facing them, Sasuke soured, but Sai acted like he didn’t notice.</p><p>“By the way Naruto, did Hana enjoy the flowers?” He asked, his mouth full of rice.</p><p>Naruto blinked for a second, his brain unable to comprehend who he was talking about. To his knowledge, he didn’t know any Hana. Hana, Hana, Hana…</p><p>And the light turned on.</p><p>“Oh, ‘Hana’, yes, of course” he casually laughed as he brutally remembered the fake name he had given Ino. He really needed to become a better liar, especially if he was going to lie to his friends. This was a close one. “Yes, she did very much. Please thank Ino for me, will you?”</p><p>In the corner of his eyes, he caught Sasuke’s sour expression slightly fading at the mention of the name, and the ghost of a smile growing on his thin lips.</p><p>“Naruto, have you taken an interest in someone? That’s unexpected.” He said, a sardonic smile now twisting his face. Naruto looked at him scornfully, not liking the insinuation behind his tone.</p><p>“And what’s that supposed to mean?” He snapped, blood rushing to his ears as his ego tried to ignore the blow.</p><p>“That Sakura won the bet” answered Sai with an innocent smile before switching his bowl of rice for some soup. </p><p>“Wait, what’s going on here!” Protested Naruto as he straightened up on the couch, his eyes aggressively darting between his two friends, “what bet are you talking about?”</p><p>Sai peacefully took a sip of his soup. “Oh, Sakura, Ino and I made a bet a couple of years ago, about which side you swang.”</p><p>“And you bet I was gay?” He asked indignantly -not that there was anything shameful or wrong about it. He then pointed a blaming finger towards the Uchiha that seemed to be enjoying this conversation way too much from his spectator seat. “And you knew about that silly bet too?”</p><p>Sai eagerly raised his hand to speak up. “It was Ino that said you were gay, not me! I actually told the others you were asexual” he finished, a dumb, sweet beam on his face. </p><p>“Is that what you thought as well?” Naruto queried Sasuke, feeling more and more mortified by the conversation. Sasuke looked at his nails for a very long minute, before finally facing Naruto again, a lopsided smirk on his perfect face.</p><p>“Sakura told me about it some time ago” he casually explained, a familiar air of self-importance, of spiritual arrogance and pride shining through his mask of detachment. “I just thought it was funny to hear the others’ opinion on the subject. Let’s be honest, you’re turning twenty-eight soon and no one has ever seen you even express just the slightest interest for another living soul, so it’s not surprising that people wondered.”</p><p>Naruto breathed a deep sigh through his nose. Damn. Usually, he wasn’t so insecure about his masculinity and frankly, couldn’t care less about what other people were thinking but the idea that his friends were discussing <em>this</em> behind his back and even took bets about it could send <em>her</em> the wrong message. Sure, he had never taken an interest in anyone and wasn’t planning on changing his habits but for some reason, he really, really disliked the idea of everyone discussing in front of Hinata whether or not he preferred sausages to peaches. He could actually even hear Ino’s giggle as she asked everyone if, in their opinion, Naruto would be more into guys like Shikamaru or older men like the Hokage, and if that was the reason why he spent so much time at work. Yes, that was definitely making him uncomfortable. Not that he arboured any unholy thoughts or intentions towards Hinata, no, absolutely no -but still. The thought of her walking around with a false idea of him was enough to twist his stomach and squeeze his heart. </p><p>The memory of the text he had sent her earlier on resurfaced, and he immediately regretted his impulsive action.</p><p>“Naruto, are you mad?” Sai’s worried voice tore him away from his reflections and he pouted at his friend for sole response. </p><p>“This is a really bad night for the both of you then, I’m sorry. Naruto” he added while giving his sun-kissed friend his best puppy eyes, “I’m sorry if we hurt your feelings.”</p><p>Naruto growled to signal the Anbu that he was done with this conversation and turned to Sasuke in an effort to change the subject, this latter currently engrossed in the dissection of a chocolate confection.</p><p>“What happened to you?” </p><p>Sasuke didn’t flinch or bother to look up to him, too busy pretending to analyze the sweet to answer. Next to Naruto, Sai craned his head towards Naruto.</p><p>“He got threatened by some kitchen people before I came in.”</p><p>This time, Sasuke raised his head from the treat and Naruto and him locked eyes for a heartbeat, before Naruto let out a burst of involuntary laughter as the dark-haired man’s brows furrowed, visibly flustered by Sai.</p><p>“What, the great and feared Sasuke Uchiha is letting the downstairs staff talk back to him and call him out on his rudeness, now? How times have changed” He taunted Sasuke. Usually, he wouldn’t push it so much with the ISD staff but the blow from their previous conversation was still fresh.</p><p>Sasuke’s expression darkened, but he didn’t say a word and Sai probably took the angry silence that reigned in the room as a cue for him to open his mouth and add yet another layer. Sometimes, Naruto wondered if he was really that oblivious to his surroundings or if he just did it on purpose for the sake of drama.</p><p>“I believe he-”</p><p>“I was nothing but polite and that savage basically bit my head off for no reason” Barked Sasuke, violently interrupting Sai whose smile only got wider. “What is wrong with those people, they should be honored just to be working there already.”</p><p>Naruto repressed a smirk as much as he could, Sai’s innocent eyes staring into his as they exchanged a knowing look. It wasn’t like Sasuke to take to heart such a trivial interaction with a stranger.</p><p>“Was it the young one with the silver hair?” Asked Sai with a soothing tone to calm down Sasuke, who seemed way too agitated right now. “I bet it was him, he’s never nice to any of us, right Naruto?”</p><p>Naruto vigorously shook his head in approval, his lips twisting to hide his smile. He had no idea who was on call tonight on the sixth floor but the probabilities for the annoying young brat that Sai was describing to be the one who had angered Sasuke were pretty high. Naruto didn’t know his name but the guy never missed an occasion to look down on Shikamaru and him whenever he had to come to their floor to deliver food on the nights he was working, making Naruto want to punch his smug face. </p><p>“How did they look like?” He asked a fuming Sasuke.</p><p>“They wore one of those white vests with one of those dishtowels that go around your waist.”</p><p>Naruto sighed. With such an eloquent description, that could basically be anyone. How was this guy even a top Intelligence gathering agent?</p><p>“Their face Sasuke, I meant their face!” He reprimanded him.</p><p>“Oh. They had light eyes. Blue hair. They were a female person.”</p><p>A robot would have sounded more human if asked to describe a person, but Naruto let his snarky comment slide, too taken aback by the portrait drawn. </p><p> </p><p>“Hinata? A savage?”</p><p>Shikamaru burst into laughter in front of Naruto’s astounded eyes, for Shikamaru never laughed. At least, not in front of witnesses. He snapped, he sassed, he gave them snarky, lopsided grins, but he never laughed. Sometimes, when a person or a situation was really, <em>really</em> funny, he would bury a light chuckle, but that was it.</p><p>They were busy brushing their teeth in the men’s bathroom the next morning when Naruto had told his friend about his late conversation with Sasuke and Sai, and Shikamaru was leaning over the sink, holding the edges to make sure that the mixture of spit and toothpaste foam that uncontrollably came out of his mouth didn’t get everywhere while his laugh filled the room.</p><p>“Hinata’s the most painfully polite and considerate person there is, what’s wrong with this guy”, he finally managed to get out after a solid minute of hysterical laughter, the back of his hand wiping away some of the foam from his mouth. Naruto hummed his agreement as he washed his mouth, still in the grip of emotion from the unholy scene he had witnessed. Although he would never admit it even under torture, he was glad to see that Shikamaru dismissed the adjective that easily. Once he had fully processed who Sasuke was referring to, he had been moody. This was no way to talk about Hinata, no. Anyone, but her.</p><p>“What did she do anyway”, piled on Shikamaru once his teeth and face clean. “Did she make the mistake of bowing to him at a 40-degree angle instead of a 45 before handing him his food?”</p><p>“He said that she had a really <em>dark aura</em> or something, and that she <em>ominously</em> told him that there was no such thing as a meal or whatever. He asked me who had recruited such a ‘shrew’” answered Naruto. “But you know him, I’m sure he didn’t really think it.” Shikamaru shook his head, exasperated, as he put away his toiletries. </p><p>“I really don’t get why Sakura and you have such a hard-on for this jerk” he casually threw around, Naruto still busy shaving in front of the mirror. The comment was so unexpected that Naruto broke off in the middle of his left cheek as he turned around to face Shikamaru, his brain not registering the sharp pain that came from his face nor the feeble bleeding.</p><p>“Ew! Why would you say something like that?” Yelled Naruto, offended to his very core. Shikamaru shrugged his shoulders, unmoved.</p><p>“Don’t tell me you didn’t know that you two are the only reason why the rest of the group is polite to him. Even Ino doesn’t like him anymore and that’s saying something.”</p><p>“Sai seems to like him too”, objected Naruto weakly.</p><p>“Sai lives in Candyland, he likes everyone, that’s his default setting.” The snapping was back. “Let’s face it, he’s allowed to keep on popping in randomly to some of our parties out of consideration for the second rule of the friends club, that’s it.” He had said that while heading for the door and stopped at Naruto's height for dramatic purposes, their bodies facing opposite directions, his left hand heavily dropping on Naruto’s left shoulder. “He’s an ass and you two are ruining your lives defending him. Get over it.” </p><p>Naruto didn’t bother to answer. He knew Shikamaru wasn’t wrong and though it was something to admit to himself that Sasuke could be a walking piece of garbage from time to time, he didn’t want others to arbor such feelings.</p><p>Actually, he didn’t mind that others walked on eggshells around him when it came to the Sasuke case, although it wasn’t necessary. What really troubled him right now was that, according to Shikamaru, they had to do it around Sakura as well and that, in her case, it was justified. She had been hooked the minute they had met, way back in the day, when they were eleven, and even if he had never given her the slightest sign of interest, she still ran after him like a puppy after a ball. She was the one suffering the most from his indifference and worse, she begged for more after each of his blows.</p><p>As Shikamaru was opening the door, Naruto finally started moving again and called his name to stop him from leaving. He had one question for him, one that lingered in his brain since last night.</p><p>“Shikamaru, do you think I’m gay?”</p><p>Shikamaru stood still in the doorway, his hand firmly gripping the handle, an indecipherable expression on his face.</p><p>“What I think doesn’t count. It’s what you and your special someone think that matters.”</p><p>And with these words of wisdom, Shikamaru left the bathroom.</p><p>Naruto slowly nodded his head, Shikamaru’s words soaking in. Then, finally realizing that there was liquified shaving cream and blood merrily dropping from his face, he rushed back to the sink and finished shaving, thinking that love was way too complicated for him to ever partake in it.</p><p> </p><p>He was definitely not in the best mood as he exited the men’s bathroom, his right hand rubbing his short and spiky hair as he yawned his problems away, choosing to focus on the cup of instant ramen that waited for him in his desk’s drawer for breakfast instead. He dragged his feet across the hallway to the elevator, passing in front of the women’s bathroom and opened his eyes wide when some female employee dashing through the door a bit too hastily crashed into his left side. The tiny creature’s mouth poured a flow of apologies out as they profusely bowed to him, but Naruto’s barking got dead stuck in the middle of his throat when he recognized the familiar blue bangs and smell of his attacker.</p><p>“Hinata!” He let out with a hint of surprise and glee in his voice, “You really know how to greet a friend, don’t you?” </p><p>The petite woman raised her red face towards his and her eyes enlarged when she recognized him. He gave her a big grin, trying not to think too much about the three ribs she had probably broken.</p><p>“Were you on call last night?” He stupidly asked, already knowing the answer and oblivious to the extra layer of pink that colored her already lobster cheeks. She pinched her lips together, her eyes running away from his, as she gave him a nervous nod of the head.</p><p>He only then noticed her outfit. Just like on her first day of work, she was wearing regular clothes, which meant that she was probably going home now. Her hair was loose and her bangs set free, and she was wearing a mauve strap summer dress that complimented her eyes and got Naruto to quickly look away, a slight blush showing up on his face. With their height difference, he had more than a good overview of her décolletage.</p><p>“Ahem… Do you want to grab something to eat with me for breakfast? If you don’t mind instant ramen, I have some in my office!” He offered after an awkward second of silence, a big grin on his face. </p><p>Hinata’s eyes looked like they were about to pop out of their sockets. She frantically bowed at him, stammering a loud “Sorry, gotta go!” and quickly made a u-turn for the stairwell, her feet barely touching the ground. Naruto blinked. She might have been really late for some kind of appointment to leave in such a hurry.</p><p>As she opened the stairwell door to dive into it, he hailed her, abruptly stopping her on her way out.</p><p>“By the way, is it ok for Wednesday night?” He inquired, his hand cupping his voice to help it travel the corridor, full of hope. For the first time this morning, they actually locked eyes and for a short moment, it felt like time had stopped. Slowly, she nodded her head and a big smile instinctively grew on his face, enlightening his features. </p><p>“See you Wednesday, then! I’ll text you the time and place!”</p><p>A timid smile bloomed on her lips as she shyly waved him goodbye, before disappearing in the stairwell, her hair floating behind her like a ghostly presence. Once back to his desk, Naruto enjoyed his ramen even more than usual, a struck dumb and absent-minded smile on his face, oblivious to Shikamaru’s suspicious looks. </p><p>Today was already a good day.</p><p> </p><p>The end of the week came in flash, and then Wednesday. He had done a lightning trip to his apartment in the early morning to make sure to pick up a nice, unwrinkled white shirt and, as he passed the Yamanaka flower shop on his way back, decided to stop by to get Hinata another bouquet. Her eyes really sparkled when she accepted the previous one and Naruto just wanted to see her this happy again.</p><p>“Are those for ‘Hana’?” Asked Ino as she wrapped the sunflowers he had selected -much to her horror. </p><p>Naruto raised an eyebrow, the shadow of incomprehension crossing his face before his mind could catch up. “Ah yes, ‘Hana’!” He laughed uncomfortably, praying for his embarrassment not to be too conspicuous. He really had to remember his alibi’s fake name.</p><p>The sharp-eyed woman paused to scrutinize his face and Naruto gave her his best innocent smile in a desperate attempt to shunt her in the wrong direction. She finally resumed wrapping the flowers and, as Naruto paid, she asked him if he had a date with the said ‘Hana’.</p><p>“It’s not like that” waved her off Naruto as she held him the flowers, “We’re friends, that’s it.”</p><p>“So, is it because you don’t want her to have any hopes whatsoever that you’re getting her such ugly blooms?” Jeered Ino.</p><p>Naruto pouted. “For your information, she told me herself that those were her favorites”, he sharply proclaimed before leaving the store with all the dignity he had, Ino’s laugh hitting his ears and ego harder than expected.</p><p>Unfortunately for him, his work arrival didn’t go much better, as almost everyone in the office instantly noticed the bouquet and started commenting on it, Konohamaru hiding his silent laugh behind a report.</p><p>“What is even this?” Pointed Hanabi with a giggling voice, stunned by the large yellow field flowers.</p><p>Naruto put on his best poker face and just sat down at his desk, trying his best to ignore Konohamaru’s snorts on the other side of the room. </p><p>“Don’t laugh, these are for your sister” notified her Shikamaru from behind his screen, monotone as always. As he turned on his screen, Naruto froze for a second. He hadn’t told Shikamaru anything about the dinner invitation, but as expected, nothing could get past his piercing eyes. On the next desk, Hanabi practically threw herself at Naruto, her jaw largely dropped with an unflattering expression.</p><p>“I know my sister may be a simple woman, but do you really expect to woo her with the plants that are used to make cooking oil?” </p><p>At this point, Konohamaru’s laughter had gotten so much out of control that Yamato had to ask him to calm down in the hallway. Trying to ignore the heat that was reaching his ears, Naruto focused on his computer, the light-up screen asking him for his password. Hinata had said these were her favorites so he was getting her her favorites, no matter the number of snarky comments he was going to get from Hanabi all day long.</p><p>“I’m not trying to woo her”, he simply answered without crossing her eyes, his voice sounding extremely unnatural and foreign, even to him. “I’m just having dinner with a female friend of mine from high school. How is that so hard for people to believe?”</p><p>He was getting tired of all those jokes and personal questions. No one had ever made a big deal over Sakura and him doing stuff just the two of them, why did this have to be any different? </p><p>Though, to be fair, he had never bought Sakura flowers on any other occasion than her birthday.</p><p>“You know” kept on going Hanabi with a deceitfully selfless tone, “Hinata’s single and she’s a real catch. You’d be lucky to go out with her, she’s really kind and smart. Plus, she has a great rack.” </p><p>The last sentence twisted Shikamaru’s lips into a smile against his will, but Naruto kept his eyes on his screen, unshakeable on the surface. </p><p>She did have a ‘great rack’. </p><p>Next to him, the characteristic muffled sound of <em>Consumer and Borrower Protection to Contractors’ Bonds</em> striking against someone else’s skull sang to his ears, and he gave Hanabi -who was rubbing her head- a satisfied side glance, Yamato standing behind her with the menacing volum.</p><p>“Recess is over Hanabi, stop babbling about your sister’s female attributes in the Palace and get to work already.” </p><p>Naruto did not have time to enjoy the scene though as, faster than lightning, the book hit his own head immediately after.</p><p>“And you, keep your subordinate in check, this is not the Fire Bachelor show! We do serious work here!”</p><p>Naruto pulled a face and mumbled a “Yes, Chief of Staff Yamato” before getting back to work. </p><p>They had agreed upon meeting up at 8 p.m. in front of the Hokages’ Palace and would then take a walk around the business district until they found a place they both liked. Naruto wasn’t the biggest fan of the idea but Sai, the most knowledgeable person he knew on this kind of social decorum, had assured him it was best to let Hinata have it her way and pick up the place. As for him, Naruto barely ever ate somewhere else than at Ichiraku, his go-to place for ramen, and the idea of eating some foreign cuisine -or worst: vegetarian- suddenly made his stomach knot in horror as the fateful hour approached. </p><p>The rest of the day unfolded smoothly and Naruto, Shikamaru and the two interns were peacefully working in their common office late in the afternoon when, out of nowhere, an Anbu member with a monkey porcelain mask poked their head through the wooden door. Four pairs of eyes stared at the expressionless face and he playfully waved at them.</p><p>“Hey, friends!” Sai energetically greeted them, his smile so big that Naruto could practically see it through his mask.</p><p>“What can we do for you?” Asked Shikamaru, a cigarette between his lips. Smoking was forbidden inside the building, but he took a chance every single time Yamato had his back turned on them.</p><p>“There’s a situation and the Hokage and Chief of Staff are asking after you two. Sorry!”</p><p>And with this, Sai left. </p><p>Shikamaru and Naruto exchanged a telltale look, and his friend scratched his goatee, an annoyed expression on his face. They knew all too well what a call like this meant: they could forget about their evening. </p><p>Shikamaru took one last breath of his cigarette before putting it out, and Naruto cast a glance at the flowers that had been laying on his desk since morning. Apparently, those were going to end up in the bin. </p><p>With a heavy heart, he took his phone out and texted Hinata.</p><p>“<em>Hey Hinata, sorry for the last-minute update but something has come up at work and I won’t be able to make it tonight. Another day, maybe?</em>”</p><p>He then crossed eyes with Hanabi who was discreetly looking at him and smiled, apologetic.</p><p>“Shikamaru and I won’t be back before quite some time, so just finish what you were working on and go home, ok? Konohamaru will escort you downstairs and wait for your bodyguard to show up.” On the other side of the room, Konohamaru frantically nodded in agreement. “And…” He hesitated a second before grabbing the bouquet, handing it to Hanabi. “I told your sister that I would not make it tonight, but I would appreciate it if you could still give her those on my behalf.” </p><p>For once, his intern ditched her usual haughty look and respectfully accepted the blooms. At least they would not be wasted.</p><p>Naruto then dropped his phone on his desk and stretched before heading for Kakash’s office, readying himself for the night of work that awaited them.</p><p> </p><p>It wasn’t 2 a.m. yet when the two friends finally left the office, exhausted. They had spent most of the night with Sai’s team and the Anbu leader, discussing the failed assassination of some big shot mafia guy and the next steps of the mission, before agreeing that they had had enough for today. They hadn’t even had dinner and Shikamaru, who hadn’t had a smoke in hours, was in a heinous mood. </p><p>“Screw this, I’m going home”, he told Naruto, visibly annoyed, as he angrily gathered his belongings, shoving everything in his bag, a cigarette waiting to be light on in the corner of his mouth. Naruto sympathetically patted his shoulder and they exchanged a brief shake of the head for only goodbye before Shikamaru stormed out of their office. Naruto couldn’t blame him for his attitude, though. The thought that he could have been enjoying Hinata’s company instead of the one of eight other men hadn’t left his mind and he felt dumber than ever for standing her up. He grabbed his phone and checked his messages. </p><p>Sakura must have been off tonight, for she had flooded his chat with countless texts. He quickly scrolled them to make sure that there wasn’t anything urgent, and stopped when he reached one from Hinata.</p><p>“<em>Hello Naruto,</em></p><p>
  <em>No worries, I hope this isn’t too serious. Just tell me when you are done and we will make a decision then.</em>
  <br/>
  <em>Good luck with work!</em>
</p><p><em>Hinata</em>”</p><p>How cute could one person be? Naruto wondered.</p><p><em>“Hey, sorry again for standing you out tonight. I hope I get a second chance soon!</em><br/><em>Good luck with your training as well, I heard you have a competition coming soon :)</em>”</p><p>He had barely pressed “send” that to his surprise, his phone was already buzzing. He looked at the caller: it was Hinata.</p><p>His voice sounded even more hoarse than usual when he picked up the call, not really knowing what to expect from her so late at night.</p><p>“Naruto?” Asked her floral voice on the other side, her tone like spring and sunny afternoons to his tired ears. “Did you finish working just now?”</p><p>He hummed, too worn out to articulate a full and coherent answer.</p><p>“If you aren’t too tired, I’m still in the building, so I could come by for a short moment.” Her voice became hesitant. “But, only if you’d like to, of course.”  </p><p>“Where are you?” He practically yelled, feeling an increase of energy suddenly rushing through his body, his back instinctively straightening up. He couldn’t believe that she had actually been waiting all that time for him. A mix of guilty and bliss overtook his brain at this thought.</p><p>“At the entrance of the sixth floor, with Iwashi, but...”</p><p>“I’ll be there in two minutes” he assured her before abruptly ending the call and quickly grabbing his bag. He paused on his way out of the room, hesitating over the nice folded shirt that was sitting in his drawer, and decided that he was too tired to change. Another time, maybe.</p><p>He dashed down the hallway and eagerly stepped into the protected entrance area to find Hinata sitting on a chair next to Iwashi, laughing at something the bodyguard had said. For some reason, Naruto felt displeased by it.</p><p>“Oh, Naruto! How are you doing?” Asked Hinata as soon as she noticed his presence, a bright smile on her lips just for him. Naruto couldn’t help but smile back at her, his body coincidentally relaxing all at once at the sight of her radiant presence.</p><p>Reality eventually caught up with him and he frowned at her, suddenly aware of how late it was. “Why did you wait for me? Aren’t you going to be too tired for work tomorrow, Hinata?” He admonished her, the rings that circled her delicate eyes catching his attention.</p><p>She brushed it off with one hand, her mouth dropping into a playful pout. “Tiredness is nothing but a construct of the mind”, she enigmatically answered, before exchanging a knowing look with Iwashi, the two soon laughing again about some kind of inside joke that he visibly couldn’t understand. </p><p>Naruto stood there as they both kept on going with their giggles, his eyes squinted, an unpleasant feeling of inadequacy spreading to his stomach. Shall he just leave them together? </p><p>“Hum, Hinata?” He called, a bit gauche.</p><p>“Oh, sorry Naruto. Shall we go?” Hinata’s voice still had hints of her laugh and her chest was rising up and down faster than usual, still shaking from their stupid whatever-that-was. She got up from her seat and tapped her dress for wrinkles. It was probably because it was getting so late that Naruto hadn’t registered the pink formal-looking tie-neck pleated dress she had gotten herself into nor her strappy heeled sandals sooner. Her hair was up in a ponytail and though Naruto had never really cared about looks or fashion, he could definitely tell that she had made an effort. Suddenly, he deeply regretted leaving his fresh shirt to sit in his desk drawer.</p><p>“You know she cooked for you? Man, I wish I knew someone as nice and caring” Mentioned Iwashi to Naruto, playfully poking her in the ribs with his elbow. Hinata tuted him, her eyes rolling to the heavens and Naruto mumbled something around the line of “it’s not like that”, before guilt clenched his guts a bit more firmly. As if her waiting almost seven hours for him wasn’t enough already, she had <em>made him dinner.</em></p><p>She grabbed a big bag that was laying against the foot of her chair and took her leave from Iwashi, gaily touching his bicep way too long, before stepping in front of Naruto.</p><p>“I’m ready”, she whispered, almost instantly revolving back to her old and timid self. It was almost like, in the two steps she had taken between her seat and him, she had taken off the mask she harbored around everyone else. Or put on the one she wore just for him, depending on how you read the situation.</p><p>Naruto gave Iwashi a slight shake of the head before leading her into the elevator and automatically pressing the ground floor button, metal doors heavily closing behind them. </p><p>Silence wrapped them all at once as they both awkwardly stared at their shoes.</p><p>“So, what’s the plan?” He queried, falsely relaxed.</p><p>Hinata gave him a blank look. “I-I don’t know, I thought I would just give you your dinner and then go.”</p><p>She then proceeded with handing him her backpack with both arms, her head ducked between her shoulders, her eyes still on her shoes. </p><p>He hastily accepted the back, pressing it with both arms against his chest and just kind of stood there as they waited for the ride to end, his brain usually so eager to blab about anything turned off.</p><p>“Sorry again for making you wait for so long. You shouldn’t have come at all.”</p><p>She vividly shook her tiny head, her bangs brushing her glowing skin. “I got to hang out with my colleagues and Iwashi, it was fun. There’s no need to apologize.” </p><p>The elevator stopped abruptly and they got out in the lobby, the on-duty receptionist waving at Hinata as they passed by them on their way to the main entrance. Though Naruto had been working there for the past three years, he had no idea who that person was. First Iwashi, then the receptionist… Had she already made friends with the entire staff? He hadn’t exactly pictured her as a social person.</p><p>“I guess that’s where I’m wishing you goodnight” she said once they reached the door, her fingers nervously playing with her tied up hair. Her smile was faint but at least, she was looking at him in the eyes now. Naruto silently agreed without thinking first, before suddenly changing his mind as she bowed to him in lieu of a goodbye.</p><p>“Actually, why don’t we find a place to sit down and eat together?” He offered, full of hope. “That bag’s pretty heavy, I don’t think I could eat it all by myself anyway”, he added casually, an encouraging grin on his face.</p><p>Hinata seemed hesitant, her beautiful features contracting as she weighed up the pros and cons, before finally letting out a little “Ok”, much to Naruto’s relief. </p><p>“Great!” he said, thrilled to have managed to buy himself some more time with her. He looked around them in search of an indication of a place where they could eat, disoriented that far away from his floor, and Hinata let out a tiny giggle as she caught his puzzled look.</p><p>“Come on, I know a good place” she told him, her hand unexpectedly pressing against his back to guide him towards the stairwell, the receptionist spying on them over their counter.</p><p>Apart from the times where the elevator was on maintenance or during those emergency evacuation drills, Naruto had never set foot into the building stair pit and was surprised to discover that, with its big and large windows, the place was actually bathed with moonlight, even though they were on the ground floor.</p><p>He let out a “neat!” of appreciation as they went for the stairs and sat down, Hinata’s gentle chuckle making him feel weirdly self-conscious. </p><p>“This is my favorite place out of the whole Palace” she explained as she kindly took the backpack from him and started taking out food containers and a thermos of tea. “It’s peaceful, quiet and clean, as no one ever comes here. It’s kind of my secret place, so you should consider yourself lucky that I’m sharing it with you”, she added, a mischievous sparkle in her eyes. </p><p>Naruto grabbed the pair of chopsticks and opened the one of the neatly packed bento that she had dropped in between them, a smirk on his face. “I must be something special if you’re letting me in your secret den, then!” He joked, her cheeks lighting up in the semi-darkness as she shyly smiled back at him.</p><p>She poured them a cup of tea and watched him eagerly dig into his food, her face hiding behind her drink. </p><p>“Did Hanabi give you the flowers?” He had completely forgotten about the bouquet and felt stupid for entrusting his intern with it. If only he had known, he would have kept them with him and would have gotten to see the unexpected joy in her eyes as she received it.</p><p>Hinata serenely nodded, her smile revealing her teeth in the dark.</p><p>“I immediately put them in the most beautiful vase we had” she claimed with a playful, grandiloquent tone, “And I warned Hanabi that she better not steal them out of jealousy while I was gone! After all, that’s one very special-looking bouquet that you got me.” And with that, they both chuckled.</p><p>“You said the sunflowers were your favorite last time”, he defended himself with a lopsided smirk as he took another bite.</p><p>“And they still are, believe me” she assured him. “I would never lie to you.”</p><p>This unexpected and trivial statement almost got him choking on his rice. He coughed awkwardly, trying to catch up his breath, his eyes locking with hers. “By the way” he managed to get out, trying his best to change the subject, “Why did you make me food? You shouldn’t have. We have on-call staff for that, remember?”</p><p>“I sensed that you would have felt bad about missing our dinner, and that you would probably be tired after working such late hours, so I wanted to cheer you up.” She took a sip of tea, her eyes avoiding his. “I thought that you would at least have it for breakfast. Shikamaru told me that you barely eat in the morning.”</p><p>Naruto’s eyes opened wide at the mention of his friend’s name. “Shikamaru told you that? When?” </p><p>She tilted her head towards the ceiling, thoughtful. “Hum, I don’t remember, probably one of the times he visited me in the kitchen?”</p><p>What.</p><p>“He’s… visiting you in the kitchen?”Asked Naruto, his voice projecting way louder than he had planned to. Hinata gave him a side glance, surprised.</p><p>“Yes, he drops by pretty much every night near the end of the regular shift… He never stays there for long though, he just comes there to have a little break.” She tried to analyze his expression, unsure of whether or not she had committed a blunder.</p><p>Naruto couldn’t believe his ears. That damn Shikamaru. He already had Temari and Ino, and Naruto even shared Sakura with him. Did he really need all the girls from their group?</p><p>“You-you can come too, you know”, she finally worded after a moment of heavy silence. “We don’t bite” she tried to joke, but her tone felt flat. </p><p>Naruto kept chewing on his food for sole response, feeling weirdly angry. He didn’t like the fact that Shikamaru spent more time with Hinata than him, he didn’t like the fact that she seemed way more outgoing with everyone else than him and finally, he didn’t like the fact that he was obsessing about all of this now when he was sharing a moment with her at last.</p><p>Next to him on the stair, Hinata fidgeted, uncomfortable.</p><p>“Naruto.”</p><p>Her voice was but a whisper in the dark.</p><p>“Would you like for me to leave?”</p><p>Her words sent an electroshock down his spine and he firmly shook his head.</p><p>“No, no, please, I’m just… I’m being a jerk, sorry for that. I swear I’ll stop, please stay with me, ok?”</p><p>He offered her a weak, apologetic smile and started eating again before offering her some food. She let out a faint laugh of relief, and politely refused. “I ate with Hanabi already”, she said.</p><p>“Oh, that reminds me, your sister told us about the chocolate competition that you’re training for. How is it going?” He had jumped on the first subject of conversation he could think of, too happy to come up with anything that could clear the uneased mood he had created. In front of him, Hinata blushed.</p><p>“Oh, she told you about it?” She asked rhetorically, an embarrassed look upon her face. “You know, it’s not like I have high hopes or anything, but it was a big deal where I studied and my Chef back in Iwa was the first foreigner back in the day to be awarded the title in Pastry, so I really want to give it a try. He’s been my role model ever since I started working with him.” She dropped her cup of tea on the floor and stared at the wall in front of her, a passion that Naruto had never seen on her face enlightening her features. </p><p>“For the longest time, I didn’t know what I wanted to do with my life. My father was pretty adamant about me studying business, but I could feel that this wasn’t my true calling.” She paused, a meditative smile on her lips. “So I did what every rich kid seeking their way did in Iwa back then and I took a gap year on the other continent, to ‘find myself’, or so did I tell my father. But,” and she looked back at Naruto with a sly smile, “the truth was that I just really didn’t want to take those business classes.”</p><p>They both chuckled in the dark, and Naruto suddenly realized that that was probably the first time he heard Hinata speak for so long.</p><p>“And then? Don’t tell me the story ends there!” He pressed her, his eyes unable to look away from her pale and beaming face. </p><p>“Well, I enrolled in a pastry class, because I had nothing better to do and I thought it would be a social and playful activity. Also because I couldn’t think of anything better to do over there with little language skills… But one the day, on the day we had that first chocolate workshop, I knew.”</p><p>She froze for a second. “In cooking, you can always rectify a mistake. Tweak the recipe, the plating. Your sauce is too salty? Extend it, and voilà. But not with pastries. Pastries are unforgiving, pastries are temperamental and unpredictable, and confections are the most unforgiving of all. With chocolate, I have to be precise, meticulous, almost scientific, light and delicate. I need to be both aware and in control of my surroundings at all times, while also being incredibly creative. You leave nothing to chance and I guess I liked that. The first time they gave me that tempered chocolate and asked me to do something with it, something just clicked inside of me. I knew it was what I had been looking for my whole life. When I came back home after two and half years and my diploma in my pocket, I went straight to the Tsuchikage’s kitchen to convince her pastry chef to hire me as his apprentice, and that’s what I’ve been doing for the past six years.”</p><p>She giggled and shook her head, embarrassed. “Sorry,” she then said, “I’m probably boring you to death with my stories. What about you? Why do you want to become Hokage?”</p><p>Naruto was still so absorbed by the sight of her face passionately delivering her speech that he hadn’t registered that she had asked him a question. </p><p>He had seen Ino talk about flowers a kajillion times before. He had listened to Sakura telling him relentlessly about whatever surgery she had performed that day countless times, and each time, he had politely waited for them to finish their story, bored to death. Then, why did he feel like he could listen to Hinata telling him about her love for chocolate til the end of times?</p><p>“Not at all”, he finally assured her, his brain back online. “Did Shikamaru tell you about the Hokage thing too?”</p><p>She gave him an enigmatic smile, and he laughed.</p><p>“I don’t really know why”, he admitted without any shame, his hand nervously scratching the back of his neck. “The idea just popped into my head when I was young, and I’ve clinged onto it ever since, doing my best to make it happen.” He snorted through his nose. “Silly, right?”</p><p>Two peaceful lavender pounds moved toward him and again and he felt hypnotized by the trembling reflection of the moonlight on their surface. Her skin lightly brushed his hand and he startled at the unexpected contact, his eyes dropping down to her hand over his wrist.</p><p>“It is not” she calmly but firmly said, and Naruto weakly nodded his head, his neck reddening from her intense glaze. </p><p>“You know, every cook, every patissier, every chocolatier that is awarded the title I’m competing forgets to wear a chef’s jacket with a golden striped collar. It’s a way to signify their rank to others, to show everyone in the kitchen that they are gods among men. That’s why I’m working so hard every day. Even when the work is hard, even when I’m feeling low and stop believing in myself altogether, I just think of that golden striped collar jacket and I’m back on my feet again. Maybe you should just take the time to understand what in the Hokage’s position is your golden striped collar jacket. I’m sure that if you took the time, you’d figure it out eventually.”</p><p>Naruto opened his mouth, but any word he could have come up with stayed stuck in his throat. He didn’t know what to tell her. He had never taken the time to consider what exactly was making him pursue Kakashi’s seat so unceasingly and for the first time ever, someone was asking him to reflect on what was making the job of Hokage so desirable to him.</p><p>He moved to a higher stair the emptied bento, the backpack, the thermos, and scooched over, closer to her. She muffled a surprised hiccough, but didn’t move otherwise when his head gently hit her shoulder.</p><p>“I’ll figure it out” he promised, his voice barely audible, even to himself. “But right now, do you mind if we stay like that for a second? I’m tired.”</p><p>She doesn’t say anything nor move, so he decided to believe that she was ok with it. His cheek adhered to the bare skin of her shoulder, the stiff linen fabric of the strap of her dress scratched his temple, but he didn’t care. His eyes closed, he heavily breathed her fragrance, unable to identify any of its core components. She smelled lovely. Flowery. Like a fresh-faced 17 years old in a summer dress. She smelled nice. Intoxicating. He wondered why the other girls didn’t smell like her</p><p>“You worked hard”, she murmured after a while, her voice drowning in the astonishing silence of the stairwell.</p><p>“You too”, he lazily answered. </p><p>Naruto hated silence. It had been its closest companion for most of his life and, whenever he had the opportunity to fill it with music or chatter, he would seize it in a heartbeat. But this felt different. It felt like a welcomed break from the world, like their own little bubble in time and space, a place just for them to be.</p><p>Her hair hit his neck, bringing him slightly back to reality as he felt her own face lean tranquility against the top of his skull, flattening his short and spiky hair. Was she enjoying the peace and quiet like he was? Did she also find his skin against her skin, his warmth against her warmth, soothing and relaxing? He would have paid a hefty sum beyond the shadow of a doubt to know what was going on in that beautiful brain of hers.</p><p>“I’m not gay, you know.”</p><p>He felt her head raise up, her gone warmth making the air on his scalp feel like icy water, and she stood there speechless, her shoulders tensing up from his unexpected declaration, not too sure on how she was supposed to interpret the message.</p><p>“I-I don’t know how to react to that”, she stuttered, concurring his initial guess. He nestled in the crook of her neck and her collarbone.</p><p>“You don’t have to say anything, I just wanted you to know I wasn’t”. She dropped her head back against his.</p><p>“Ok” she chuckled, and they just stayed there, floating in the dark of the stairwell, time suspended as the night unfolded.</p><p>It was around five in the morning when they finally found the strength to move, both stretching their numb limbs as they got up and gathered the empty food containers, thermos and cutlery. He walked her back to the entrance of the building and just awkwardly stood there for a second, not too sure how to end what was the weirdest dinner date he had ever had with a friend.</p><p>“Thank you very much for tonight, I really appreciated it.” He offered. “I don’t get to eat homemade food everyday, after all, so that was really nice!” He grinned, scratching his neck as she bowed to him with a shy smile. </p><p>“You’re being fed by an army of private chefs every day”, she pinpointed mischievously. </p><p>Naruto playfully dismissed it. “It’s not the same”, he tried explaining, tilting his head towards the ceiling as he looked for the right words. “Sometimes, you actually want to eat food that isn’t so perfect, ya know? Like, it’s the food’s imperfections, the way it’s plated or the flavors that aren’t perfectly balanced that make it so great.” He chuckled. “I don’t know if I really make sense, sorry about that. I don’t really feel at home even at my own place, but food like that reminds me of the feeling. ”</p><p>Her smile irradiated him with a whole new level of human warmth he did not expect to experience and he could feel his tan skin darkening on his face as blood rushed to his skull. On this very moment, he knew he wanted to see this smile every other day till the end of the world. He didn’t know why, he just knew he had to.</p><p>“I understand, don’t you worry”, she reassured him with an almost motherly smile. </p><p>“I had a great time”, he said.</p><p>“I had a great time, too”, she hummed.</p><p>They both stupidly blanked at each other. Naruto mumbled some kind of word that vaguely sounded like a good night and Hinata bowed down to him before turning away and heading for the door. He watched her walk away, the sun rising in the distance, when she hesitantly paused before turning around.</p><p>“Naruto!” She said with an assertive tone and impish look, “You still owe me one dinner, don’t you forget!”</p><p>This girl, she was really something.</p><p>“Yes, yes, I won’t!” He grinned as he vigorously waved her goodbye.</p><p>She blushed and rubbed her head, her bangs vanishing for a short second before falling back down. She gave him an almost imperceptible nod of the head and walked through the double-wing glass door of the building. As she looked back over her shoulder one last time, Naruto cupped his hands to his face.</p><p>“Hinata!” He yelled, startling the night receptionist on the other side of the room. Outside the glass doors, he saw her signaling him that she was listening.</p><p>“You looked very nice tonight!”</p><p>And with that, he rushed back to the eighth floor.</p><p> </p><p>The days following their more than late dinner, Naruto discovered new undisclosed benefits of having a female friend, and realized how much Sakura had been slacking off all these years when Hanabi started giving him homemade bentos from Hinata every day. The first day, she violently got it out of her bag as soon as she had arrived at work, loudly smashing it on the table and slowly pushing it towards Naruto in what he suspected was an attempt to make sure that everyone in the office saw what was happening. </p><p>On the second day, Yamato had asked him if he had actually gotten married and when Naruto patiently explained to them that it was only a kind and friendly gesture, Shikamaru loudly snorted behind his screen, claiming that not even his girlfriend of nine years was doing such a thing.</p><p>To be honest, Naruto didn’t see the big deal. He was incredibly touched by Hinata’s attention but -truth be told- she was a nice person and nice people did nice things. And because Naruto was a nice person too but didn’t actually have the time or the creativity to come up with anything innovative and nice, he settled for regular visits to the Yamanaka flower shop and bouquets of sunflowers. Bentos and blooms were kind of <em>their</em> thing, now. </p><p>“It must be serious, considering the amount of flowers you are getting her”, had commented one morning Ino, desperately trying to get some more information out of him. Naruto had shrugged it away and left without saying a word. He had gotten used to Shikamaru and Ino’ snarky comments and couldn’t bother less anymore. They just didn’t get it. Hinata was pure and innocent and sweet and considerate and he just enjoyed her peaceful company. Why did his friends have such dirty minds?</p><p>Hinata wasn’t actually around when he dropped by the sixth-floor kitchen to give her the bouquet, but one of her colleagues let him step inside the forbidden and intimidating anthill to leave it on her station. He knew the kind of text message he would get once she’d have arrived to work and that almost made up for not seeing her smile in person.</p><p>He then headed back to his office, Shikamaru and Yamato already there and worked without any interruption until Konohamaru and Hanabi loudly stepped in, their chatter waking up the room.</p><p>“Hey everyone!” They both greeted them before quickly respectfully bowing to Yamato. Naruto grinned largely at them and a hand waved at them from behind Shikamaru’s computer screen.</p><p>“Guess what we’re bringing you guys!” Gushed Konohamaru as he heavily dropped a big backpack on Hanabi’s desk and swiftly got out a pile of food containers. “Breakfast for everyone!”</p><p>“Ah, finally a good initiative coming from you, Sarutobi”, approved Shikamaru, his body finally rising from the depths of his seat as he hastily grabbed a bento box while the others sat around their triple-shared desk.</p><p>“Yeah, I was getting tired and jealous of Mr. Uzumaki having breakfast every morning, so I tricked my sister into making food for everyone!”</p><p>“That’s my intern”, approved Naruto as he high-fived Hanabi across the table, Yamato and Konohamaru both starting to eat as well. The door of the office opened and Kakashi sheepishly tucked his head inside, a falsy innocent smile in his eyes.</p><p>“I heard someone mentioning breakfast?” Casually asked the Hokage before stepping in, unbothered to wait for their answer. He grabbed a chair and unceremoniously sat down at Shikamaru’s desk, this latter quickly moving away a pile of reports for their leader to eat.</p><p>“Yeah, <em>Mr. Uzumaki’s</em> special lady friend cooked for us ” smirked Konohamaru, his mouth full with an omelet, before expertly avoiding the meatball thrown at him.</p><p>"Seems like the Hyūga ladies are really running the place now", commented with a hint of despair Yamato.</p><p>They all laughed and did honor to the food, taking this unplanned breakfast as an opportunity to bond around something else than the neverending mountain of work they found themselves shoved under.</p><p>Hanabi had really managed to blend up in their little group nicely.</p><p>They sat there for half an hour, Kakashi, Hanabi, Konohamaru and Yamato discussing their foreign drama showed that the latter seemed to have started watching as well, while Naruto and Shikamaru made plans for the weekend. </p><p>“There is no such thing as an <em>unlucky</em> place”, Naruto heard Konohamaru argue during a lull in his conversation with Shikamaru, Yamato and the Hokage already long gone.</p><p>“I’m telling you, my father firmly believes otherwise, hence the bodyguard! It cannot be helped Konohamaru, this place is jinxed!”</p><p>“What do you guys think”, asked suddenly Konohamaru with the overly dramatic tone of a TV investigation show voice-over about drug trafficking as he focused his attention on the rest of the table, “Konoha: cursed or not?” </p><p>Shikamaru raised a deadpan face towards the young man, not even batting an eye.</p><p>“Konohamaru, you’re 24. Grow up, please.”</p><p>“Konoha cannot be cursed” dismissed Naruto right after, his tone way more confident than he actually was. There were no such things as <em>actual</em> cursed places… right? “We barely know anyone that died here!” He paused for a second. “Well, apart from my parents right after I was born”, he corrected himself, pouting. “Also, my godfather got mugged and beaten to death in an alley one evening when I was still in high school, but that was just really unfortunate.”</p><p>He turned to Shikamaru for support, noticing Hanabi’s less than convinced expression.</p><p>“My father got shot on duty with Ino’s dad, but that was an occupational hazard, it cannot be helped” reassured her Shikamaru, the men all humming their agreement.</p><p>“Actually, my uncle died on duty too, now that I think of it”, thought out loud Konohamaru, suddenly pensive. Hanabi’s expression worsened.</p><p>“So did Sasuke’s brother”, pointed out Naruto to Shikamaru.</p><p>“But his parents’ murder-suicide could have happened anywhere.”</p><p>“Aren’t the parents of the Lord Hokage also dead?”</p><p>“Getting killed in the line of duty, suicides, murders all around town, but my father’s the crazy one for hiring me a bodyguard”, concluded Hanabi, sneaky, Naruto, Shikamaru and Konohamaru’s brains suddenly blacking out in front of such dreadful facts. Hanabi let out a scornful sound.</p><p>“I rest my case” she said while mindfully putting away all their bento boxes, a smug expression on her face. </p><p>Naruto gave a pat to Konohamaru who was breathing “Konoha is jinxed!” between his teeth in horror, and even though they all got back to their regular occupations soon after, an uneasy feeling lingered with them all day long, with Naruto and Shikamaru basically throwing themselves at Hanabi when the time came up for her to go home. </p><p>“We have to make sure that you make it to your car in one piece”, gauchely explained Naruto as the two assistants stepped by Hanabi’s side, framing her like those celebrities that never left their house without at least a small army to protect them. The brunette darted at Naruto and Shikamaru with a contemptuous smile.</p><p>“You know I’m fine with Konohamaru escorting me downstairs, I highly doubt some mad man’s waiting for me in the lobby”, she sneered, her bossy hand commanding Konohamaru to get up from his desk and join her.</p><p>Naruto and Shikamaru exchanged a knowing look, and after a moment of hesitation, Shikamaru agreed to let Konohamaru escort her.</p><p>“You don’t trust Konohamaru?” The goateed man asked Naruto when he saw him quickly grab his phone and rush to the door, following the footsteps of Hanabi and Konohamaru.</p><p>“I’ll be right back!” He simply answered, rushing down the eighth floor’s hallway to catch up with the interns in the elevator. </p><p>“See you on Monday, Mr. Uzumaki!” Yelled to him Hanabi as he quickly got out on the sixth floor, Naruto vaguely waving a hand at them as he hurried to the kitchen.</p><p>“Is Hinata there?” He let out in a breath as he stopped in a controlled skid in front of two cooks taking a break at the entrance of the kitchen. They called for their colleague inside and soon after, there she was, her hair and bangs all secured on her head by a neckerchief, chocolate on her face and her jacket. </p><p>“Naruto, is something wrong?” she asked, worried, as she cleaned her face with the back of her hand. </p><p>“Oh, hum” he stammered, having rushed here without considering what he wanted to tell her first. “You see”, he tried again with a solemn tone, “We were discussing it with the rest of my team and, hum, Konoha ain’t that safe of a place ya know so I was thinking that, hum, well, it’s probably better if someone sees you off every day, especially when you finish this late and, like, hum, yeah.”</p><p>Woah. So much eloquence.</p><p>Hinata squinted her eyes, a doubtful look on her face.</p><p>“If I understand, the Hokage staff believes I might get assaulted within the ten meters I have to walk between the building’s main entrance and my car?”</p><p>Naruto eagerly shook his head.</p><p>“And you are offering to… Escort me to my car every day?” She added, her face remaining impassive except for the red coloring her cheeks.</p><p>“Yeah, I think it’s better if we do it this way”, asserted Naruto, doing his best to ignore the gossiping gathering at the door of the kitchen. This time, Hinata’s face turned completely red. “When do you finish tonight?”</p><p>“11 p.m.” she whispered, her lower lip vanishing behind her teeth. They both froze a moment, too bashful to say or do anything, until Naruto awkwardly commented that he had to go back to work.</p><p>“But let’s meet up in the lobby right after you’re done, ok?” She timidly agreed and he showered her with a big grin before running back to his office, her colleagues all pestering her with questions behind his back.</p><p>Was he really doing this out of concern for her safety? Naruto wanted to believe so, but deep down, he knew he wouldn’t have acted this way for someone else. And truth be told, he didn’t care. All that mattered to him was to find some new ways to spend more time with Hinata.</p><p>That night, they talked about everything and nothing long after her shift had ended in the comforting secrecy of the stairwell, their light chatter mixing with their laughter, and it was only reluctantly that he finally let her call her driver for them to come and pick her up. </p><p>“You really should drop by the kitchen with Shikamaru one night”, she joyfully told him as he was walking her to her car, his feet dragging along the way. He vaguely grunted an answer. He preferred having her all to himself -like tonight. </p><p>They stopped in front of a nice black car and her eyes rose to meet his as she readied herself to leave. Naruto put his hands in his pockets, trying to appear as relaxed and cool as he could, and grinned at her. </p><p>“Don’t overwork yourself, ok?” She told him, authoritarian. His grin grew even bigger and, suddenly remembering one of Sai’s advice, got one hand out of his pocket to open the car door. She flushed and delicately got in, immediately opening her window after he had closed the door behind her. </p><p>“Wait, I actually have something for you”, she told him, waving at Naruto to get closer. Intrigued, he lowered to the height of the window as she rummaged through her back. </p><p>“Hanabi told me that you weren’t working tomorrow, so I took the liberty to…” She politely handed him food containers, her head bowed to hide her embarrassment. Naruto blinked at them for a second, before grabbing them.</p><p>“Oh, hum, you shouldn’t have, thank you.”</p><p>He slightly pulled on the boxes to get them out of her hands, but her firm grip didn’t let go and he raised a cautious eyebrow at the bluette. Then, really quickly, as if someone had pressed the “fast forward” button of a TV, she got her upper body out of the car window and swiftly leaned toward him. Before Naruto could have any chance to fully process what was happening, the peck on his cheek was but the memory of a feeling and she was back inside the car.</p><p>“Take care!” She smiled, her face redder than ever, her car rushing off like a shot in the night.</p><p>How long did Naruto stay on the forecourt before the building, a dimwitted look on his face? He couldn’t say. Neither could he explain the feeling of euphoria and adrenalin that his heart was pumping through his veins and spreading to his entire body. He pressed his palm against the kissed cheek, the memory of the stinging kiss burning his skin like fire. </p><p>Was that something that friends could do between them? Did she kiss other guys like this as well? Somehow, this thought angered him. This wasn’t ok, or at least, was only acceptable between her and him. He was her friend. He would never hurt her.</p><p>When, after a long time spent downstairs brooding over what had just happened, Naruto got back to his office, he finally took a look at the containers she had given him. On the bottom one, she had taped a little note, written in big, looping cursive.</p><p>“Home is wherever you want it to be”</p><p>Naruto frowned at the note, feeling even more confused than before.</p><p>If home was wherever he wanted it to be, why did he feel like it had left with Hinata?</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>You made it, congratulations!</p><p>This chapter may have been a little dense, I apologize for that. I finally explained what Hinata's competition was about and in case you were *not* wondering, I shamelessly ripped off the French. </p><p>Did you know that they held a big culinary competition every other year called the Meilleur Ouvrier de France? It's actually not well-known outside of the country or the culinary sphere but it's an insanely hard title to get, and the winners do get to wear a striped collar jacket, like the one Hinata's chef gave her when she left Iwa. For those of you who ever watched  "Nailed it!" on Netflix, host and chocolate master Jacques Torres is sporting a Meilleur Ouvrier de France jacket, so just google his name to see what it looks like ;)</p><p>For some reason, I had the hardest time writing this chapter and I had to rewrite a big part of it, but I'm happy it's finally done! </p><p>Next one will be with our little Hinata of course, but you'll have to be patient for I write reaaally slowly and I actually would like to get started on a one-shot for the NaruHina November theme... But I promise I'll be back right after it with the next chapter</p><p>And, last but not least, thank you again for all of you who are following the story and encouraging me with your kudos and comments! You guys are the best! 🥰</p><p>Take care and see you in November!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0005"><h2>5. Color of Desire</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p><i>"It's been 84 years..."</i> But here we are again, yeaaah!</p><p>I cannot believe it, I'm updating this story. <b>Finally</b>. At some point, I truly believed that this day would never come.</p><p>So much time has passed and I wish you all a very belated Happy New Year ahah I would like to apologize for the delay, trust me, I truly thought I'd be back working on this story in December but "life got in the way" and I ended up writing other stuff instead. I'm also very sorry for all the people that I've deceived by saying that this chapter "would be out next week-end": I swear, I believed in my own lies and was being super genuine when saying that! Unfortunately, I can't be trusted...</p><p>I would also like to apologize for the quality of this chapter: the first part is like, one of the best things I've ever written and the rest is trash, with the quality reaching an all-time low midway into the chapter -to never go up again. For some reason, I had the greatest difficulty writing this and kept leaving huge unfinished portions while rewriting the same parts over and over, until deciding that enough was enough. It's just bad, and it won't get any better. I'm so sorry for that 🥺</p><p>  <b>/!\ Kind warning /!\</b></p><p>Because this story has been hugely advertised as being rated "T" by now, I cannot put anything too "adult" in there anymore and won't, but there's still a section that may shock little birdies so, if you want to protect your innocence, please: skip ahead straight to the very first dialogue, and zap the last paragraph at the very end. That shall keep you safe!</p><p>Enjoy ^_^</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>There was something utterly improbable, almost unlikely, about the situation at hand. </p><p>Against her mouth, she could feel his firm lips grinning and their sweet parting, followed by the rough pressure of a moisty tongue. Hinata sighed. This was nice.</p><p>In turn, she shyly opened her own mouth, inviting him in, the invading sensation setting her whole body on fire as she allowed him to passionately explore her, their lips crashing with such intensity that she wondered if they weren’t just simply meant to never stop what they were doing, joined at the mouth forever. Again, she sighed, and wriggled gently under the body weighing on top of her, her fingers grabbing a fistful of blond hair as his lips abandoned hers, leaving her panting for more. She whined. </p><p>How long had it been for her? She sincerely couldn’t tell, but she was delighted to see how her body was still quick off the mark, her core instantly reacting to his every caress. They locked stares for a brief second and he smirked, purposefully ignoring her noiseless requests for more, his nose playfully rubbing against her jawline instead, his breathing birthing icy bites of burning expectation on her epidermis.</p><p>Eventually, after two or three of these torturous back and forths, she relinquished all resistance to him and, not wanting to break the spell, closed her eyes tight, finally rejoicing in the absolute pleasure his attentions provided her with, a smile of satisfaction blooming on her face as his lips printed a trail of wet kisses along her jaw and neck before finally reaching her white and naked collarbone.</p><p>She held a breath. </p><p>Warm and powerful hands started to venture under the upper rim of her shirt, igniting wakes of fiery alabaster skin as they started to pull on the fabric, baring more of her chest for him to taste, his tongue traveling down the dawning vale of her breast-</p><p>“T’was a welcome surprise actually since Guy couldn’t drive me today, something about a dentist appointment he had forgotten about” suddenly boomed a voice on the outskirt of her subconscious. “I swear, sometimes, I forget if he’s the manager or the managee! But anyway, as long as I’m not forced to drive in those busy streets, you know…”</p><p>It felt like she had been hit by lightning. </p><p>A powerful discharge of adrenalin immediately spread through Hinata’s body like an overloaded flow of electricity, tensing her muscles and electrifying her thoughts all at once, abruptly pulling her out of her daydream, her face, sticky from the ambient heat, powdered with an unconcealable vivid carmine.</p><p>Behind her, beyond the closed seal of her eyelids, she could hear some sweet giggles and the voice of Ino asking a question, but the words got lost on the sleepy Hyūga and all she managed to understand was Tenten’s reply, something about her training with a “Mima” for the upcoming Sky Nation’s Tournament. </p><p>She kept her ears open for a moment longer, on the lookout for any little comment that could have indicated that her partners were paying attention to her, before finally allowing herself to relax, a silent deep breath of relief coming out of her. No one had seemed to notice that she had emerged for a second, the girls blissfully unaware of the shameful dreams that had inhabited her peaceful sleep.</p><p>Hinata would never have let herself have such indecent thoughts usually, no; however, after finally heading back home this morning and falling on her bed like a boneless starfish following a heroic quadruple shift, Hanabi had stormed in her bedroom, their father on video call, for some family time, before commanding her to get ready to grab lunch with Tenten at the Hyūga compound, the terrible youngest insensitive to her older sister’s glassy eyes and exhausted condition, and Hinata’s psyche was simply too weak to be properly kept in check right now.</p><p>There was something inherently wrong about fantasizing about someone else without their consent, Hinata knew it; nevertheless, that didn’t mean that she could help it. Lately, the blond Assistant had haunted her soul against her every wish, living in her head rent-free, the mesmerizing memories of his countless lopsided smiles enough to dash straight to her head like a light wine, innocent passion and raw longing battling furiously one another in her heart and brain. </p><p>The last thing she wanted was to plunge back into her old teenage disillusions; however, in spite of herself, her recent and unpredicted interactions with Naruto at work had filled her with a foolish kind of hope, the type she knew would soon burst into flames once she would eventually accept that he was probably only seeing her as a friend but that she still so helplessly indulged in. Surely, he treated her no differently from every other woman of his unquestionably broad inner circle.</p><p>She had replayed that little scenario a thousand times in her head during her never-ending shift, images of her reckless peck on Naruto’s cheek looping again and again and again before her eyes, the cringey scene rewinding like an amateur video captured on a cheap smartphone. The bento box she had handed him, the way she had leaned outside of the car’s window, its sharp, rounded edge not quite withdrawn entirely inside the door pressing against her lower stomach, that slight shiver of surprise she believed to have sensed as her lips delicately met the warmed-up tanned skin of his face, and that flabbergasted expression her eyes had furtively caught on as her vehicle drove away, carrying with it her foolhardiness and blush into the night…</p><p>When had she become so reckless and impulsive? She hardly could recognize herself in her actions, let alone think of them without experiencing deep embarrassment. How was she ever supposed to face him again after such a shocking behavior and display of inappropriate affection? It could be no coincidence that he hadn’t shown up once at the door of the sixth-floor kitchen ever since.</p><p>At first, she had thanked her job for shielding her so effectively from any resulting consequences, the odd hours of the food staff sparing her any unwanted encounter in the corridors of the Palace. After all, what if they had met one another and he had asked her what the peck meant? What if she had stuttered and blushed like she always did in his presence, regressing to her former self, any decent cognitive abilities vanishing as she tried to move her lips and mouth a sound? But three days had passed already, and she had yet to receive a visit or a text from him. Did he plan on never acknowledging their interaction at all? What if he severed all ties with her? Could this actually be a thing?</p><p>Hinata didn’t know which one would be worse.</p><p>The flowers, him insisting on walking her to her car the other night, the dinner in the stairwell… Had she gotten carried away? That was what was so frustrating with hope: even when you tried to nip it in the bud, it still managed to seep in by every crack there was, no matter how insignificant.</p><p>A new burst of laughter reminded her of reality, her mind suddenly acutely aware of how sweaty she felt and how suffocating Neji and her mother’s greenhouse was, its opened windows and doors barely letting out the built-up heat of this sunny summer day. </p><p>When her sister had told her of her picnic plans, her initial reaction had been to reject the initiative in its entirety, sleep awaiting at the door to claim her whole being, too worn out to even take a shower beforehand. However, Hanabi’s mention of her numerous excursions with Moegi during the video chat had woken up an old and familiar guilt that soon had defeated her reluctance: never had Hinata been busier or more absent than since she had started working for the Hokage. Convincing her to suck it up for the time being for her sister’s sake, her squeezing feeling had helped her through the morning, keeping her awake long enough to wash and put on a yellow summer dress, leaving behind her with great regret the nest of fluffy covers that was her bed, the light breeze of the delicious air-con washing over the bare skin of her arms and the calm of her home for the warm and tangible air of the Fire Nation outdoors. </p><p>It was always as hot back in Iwagakure, maybe even hotter; however, its atmosphere carried a certain dryness to it, mixed only with the fine particles of red dust it had picked up through the canyons on its way to the city. Here, the air felt packed, saturated with a billion tiny invisible droplets that made breathing a little too hard, a little too thick, as if she was constantly inhaling through many layers of cotton.</p><p>It hadn’t escaped Hinata’s attention either that Hanabi had carefully left out of her cheerful narrative both Konohamaru and Udon earlier that morning when on the phone with their father, but she couldn’t disapprove: Hiashi Hyūga was certainly stressed out enough as it was by his benjamin left to her own devices with a limitless credit card, no need to add the additional burden of young and eager males to the mix. Plus, no matter her personal feelings regarding Konohamaru, she was thankful for Hanabi to have made such good friends in a short period of time, honest people that kept her busy and alive, attending to her every need and inner fire, making sure that, despite Hinata’s repeated absences, she did not feel lonely even when alone. </p><p>She heard the distinctive splashing of somen someone accidentally let fall completely in their soup, followed by Hanabi’s voice asking Tenten why she would train with the girl that had beaten her at some tournament last Spring.</p><p>“That’s the way of life, Hanabi”, enigmatically answered Tenten with the kindliness of an older and wiser relative. “When I was younger, I also trained with Ai when she was number one in the rankings, and eventually, one… nearing my thirties after all, so it’s only a matter of time before… rather have it be Mima or another fellow citizen than one of those arrogant Wind players who have no respect for…”</p><p>The light and mindless chatter of her companions lulled her mind in search of peace and quiet, swinging her gently in rhythm with the soft song of a light breeze in the branches of the weeping cherry trees and Black cedars that strewn the estate.</p><p>A massive and silent sepulcher, the Hyūga compound, located in a rich neighborhood, stood there, defying the years and the seasons, still the same as in her memories. It was hard for Hinata to recall the days of old, when life imperceptibly shook the building and injected energy inside the murmuring gardens of the property, domestics and guests blending wordlessly in the landscape, all but a dream to her child’s eyes.</p><p>Back then, her favorite mistake was to lay under the azalea flower beds that bordered the walls of the main house in summer. Taking advantage of their shade and wet soil to capture their freshness, their moist ground never failed to adhere to her body and skin, embedding itself on the cloth of her dresses, the dark sports smeared everywhere on her white cotton always earning her a scolding from her father. She smiled interiorly. Despite it all, she had never learned from her bad habits, her younger self inevitably ending back under those same flowers again, attracted to them like bees to honey. Neji always comforted her after each and every reprimand, his tiny arms gauchely embracing her; was it for the sole purpose of sensing the slight pressure of his hand, taping on her head in an affectionate gesture, that she braved yet again and again her father’s ban? She couldn’t tell for sure but, right now, she felt like she would gladly give up everything to travel back in time one last time and relive it all over again, cherishing the way her tears always soften her cousin, him usually so unyielding and stern.</p><p>She wished he could have been here with them today, laying by her side on the large and colorful blanket Natsu had set up for the little group on the flagstone floor of the stifling glass structure, enjoying with the girls the diverse array of dishes the personnel had cooked for them, his long, brown hair set free and catching the wind. For sure, he would have disapproved their picnic and laid-back attitude in the presence of their parents, the residents of the greenhouse not used to seeing the quiet of their eternal sleep disturb by the gossips and giggles of a quartet of sweaty women in flimsy shorts and dresses, but he would have probably kept his opinions to himself, the wide smile of Tenten enough to shut down any complaints on his part. Would the two of them be dating already, or would have he waited for the high of her professional career to have passed before making the first step, too afraid to distract her from her goal to dare act on his feelings?</p><p>The sweet agitation cradling her back to sleep and, surrounded by people she loved and who loved her in return, safe under the watch of both her cousin and her mother, Hinata let herself sink back in the black depths of her unconscious, the girls seemingly having enough fun without her for her to not feel too guilty about abandoning them. She was already far away anyway, already floating in the middle of nowhere, weightless, when the rumor of strange conversations reached her through the sea of nothing that she was in.</p><p>“How about Hinata, is she doing okay? Do you know?”</p><p>Was it Tenten talking? It sounded like Tenten, but she wasn’t too sure about it.</p><p>“Oh, hum, things are a bit hectic and with the upcoming competition, time is really flying for her, but I think she’ll manage.”</p><p>“Did she make friends?” Politely inquired another voice with the emotional undertone of a mother worrying about her child after their first day at a new school. Hinata heard a loud snort tear up her night for a second.</p><p>“Ah! Who needs friends when you’re <em>lovingly</em> making bentos for the Hokage’s assistant <em>every day</em> and that he’s <em>personally</em> escorting you to your car every night...”</p><p>“No way!” “Is it Shikamaru?” “Pfff, as if this guy wasn’t too lazy enough as it is to even <em>think</em> about cheating on Temari!” “Don’t tell me it’s the intern! What’s his name again, Hiruzen Satori or something…”</p><p>Konohamaru and her? Even in the deepest coma, that sounded laughable.</p><p>“His name’s Konohamaru and no, that’s not him. Where did you even get that name?”</p><p>“Damn it, who else is working there that we know of?” “Naruto?” “Yes, sure, like he could pay attention to something else than a cup of ramen!” “You know, he’s been buying quite a lot of flowers at my shop for a colleague of his recently, could that be her? Hanabi, have you seen your sister with a bouquet lately?”</p><p>Naruto’s sunflowers. <em>Her</em> sunflowers. Had he been buying them from Ino this whole time? It actually did make sense when you knew him, although she would have had herself avoided any shop managed by an acquaintance of them if she had had to buy him a gift. Not that far away from their work, a friend to help him pick up something… Probably the place where he bought flowers for all the girls in the world.</p><p>“Flowers?” Innocently repeated Hanabi with a slightly higher pitch, “No, that does not ring a bell, sorry… What kind of blooms?” “Arg, ugly sunflowers. I swear, this guy is so dense…” </p><p>Except she loved her sunflowers. True, they were on the more... “Unconventional” side, but they were big and warm and enlightened the impersonal living room of their suite wonderfully, the bright yellow of their petals bringing inside the burning rays of sun that never seemed to manage to cross the windows of their penthouse. They were fun and sunny and unlike any other flowers you’d traditionally find in a bouquet. Just like their gifter. Too bad there wasn’t any additional hidden meaning behind them, though: in flower language, they were symbols of adoration and loyalty, but she hardly believed that he knew it. </p><p>“Oh, this one… He better stay away from her, he’s the worst! I’m sure the girl’s not even half as pretty and nice and Hinata, anyway. Good riddance!” “Meh, she’s probably working on the sixth floor, that’s where all the hoes are.” “Oh, Hanabi! Language! You’re starting to sound like Kiba!”</p><p>And with that, Hinata definitely foundered. </p><p> </p><p>“Okay Toneri, now that we have our tartlet shells, what are the next steps?”</p><p>It was the middle of the morning rush in the kitchen of the sixth floor. Pots were boiling, fishes were steaming and at the vegetable station, the fast tempo of the heavy knives, steadily chopping through the various and colorful mountains of okura, piman, nasu, kyuri and renkon meant to bring freshness and color to the hot summer plates of the Hokage rhythmed the cooks’ pace, Chef Masuda flailing around to check one and every ongoing task, complimenting and correcting her team’s every action with the same impetuous behavior that was hers. </p><p>Hinata was secretly pleased by the ambient tumult: her personality, shy and unassertive, wasn’t doing so well with the more energetic and less patient demeanor of the woman who ruled the Palace kitchens and the morning and afternoon rushes, although frenzied, were generally a welcome diversion. Masuda’s glare, unforgiving, always lingered someplace else during those troubled times, far from the little make-up dessert station Hinata had set up for Toneri and herself.</p><p>She hadn’t had any snags with her supervisor and the Chef had yet to complain about her work ethic or productions but, the way she barked her comments, though never ill-intentioned or mean on purpose, never failed to hit Hinata like a whip. Too submissive and obliging for her own good, she didn’t handle any type of stressful external human factors very well and every single blunt comment directed towards her or her confections crushed the shaky shadow of self-confidence she possessed to dust, leaving her on the brink of tears. </p><p>That was the main reason why Hinata enjoyed working the night shift so much. Besides the serene and muted atmosphere that reigned in the building at that particular moment of the day and the limited workforce on call, she had all the time in the world to safely bake and prepare for her upcoming competition, her mind and hands busying themselves cheerfully as she embraced the tranquility of the abandoned kitchen, free. “You won’t be working for me in such a small kitchen forever” had worn her Chef Taiseki on many occasions before, though kindly advising her to grow a thicker skin; it was easier said than done. Just like she couldn’t transfigure chocolate baking pastilles into delicious creations without warming them up and melting them first, she, unfortunately, couldn’t go against the inherent nature of her very being.</p><p>The young man’s delicate grey brows furrowed as he tried to remember the next steps of the dessert, and Hinata couldn’t help but release a light chuckle, her sweet laughter enlightening her tired features. Gentle and hard-working, moderate but assertive -way more than she herself would ever be-, Toneri had been assisting her most of the days for a couple of weeks now, only switching back to the savory team whenever the number of plates they had to serve that day proved too high to be dealt with without an extra pair of hands. </p><p>Hinata was grateful for him, the aide de cuisine’s personality harmonizing quite nicely with hers. Sure, he could prove a little possessive sometimes when it came down to their collaboration, vividly driving away any other soul that had the <em>audacity</em> to approach the chocolate maker during their shifts in duo, but she never held it against him: in her eyes, his young age was excuse enough for his insignificant missteps, and she did not possess enough of a strong personality to go up against him anyway, even though he was her subordinate. </p><p>“We are going to make a basic chocolate ganache that will allow us to coat the inside of the shells and isolate them from their whipped praline ganache filling” she instructed him, sensing his distress. “Like that, they won’t become too soggy and will retain their crustiness.” Toneri nodded frantically.</p><p>Because making a chocolate ganache wasn’t challenging nor even complicated, she let him do it, benevolently encouraging him as he hesitantly awaited her approbation at every turn. First, melt the dark chocolate and the milk one together in a bain-marie on low heat. Concurrently, bring some heavy cream to a simmer and when ready, make an emulsion by slowly adding the cream to the melted chocolate and folding it together with a rubber spatula. Finally, in order to give it its rich, glossy and creamy texture, blend in butter with a hand mixer whose head you shall keep under the surface to avoid bubbles.</p><p>“Perfect”, congratulated Hinata with a wide smile as Toneri proudly showed her the resulting mixture in his bowl, smooth as one could ask for. “But let’s not forget the final touch!” His eyes widened all of a sudden as he realized what she was talking about, and he dashed to their dedicated refrigerator, bringing her back a small measuring jug full of a bright yellow liquid.</p><p>“Are we sure it’s going to taste good with the praline of the filling, Chef Hyūga?” He dared question while slowly pouring the orange juice into the mixture.</p><p>“That should be enough”, gauged Hinata as the clear, pulpless liquid splashed flatly on the ganache. “And citrus fruits always pair nicely with chocolate, whatever the flavor. Here, with our more bitter ganache, the properties of the dark chocolate will create a combo with the orange that will give a nice kick to the desert as a whole. It will be faintly noticeable in the mouth but still there, without being too overpowering.” </p><p>Toneri’s lips contorted themselves into a silent “o” of admiration, and she smiled again before showing him the most effective way to coat the inside of their shells. Did it make her a bad person for enjoying his constant marvel? Probably. She wasn’t particularly deserving of his praises and felt deeply ashamed for indulging in his compliments, only earned through his inexperience, but it did feel good to have someone at work who, whatever she did, genuinely considered her amazing. In such an unforgiving environment, he had been one of her only rays of sunshine lately… Especially since Naruto had seemingly stopped all communication with her.</p><p>She had entrusted Hanabi with a bento for him this morning and the day before, praying for a small miracle to happen -in vain.</p><p>“If you miss him that much, you should text him or drop by in person instead of yearning for him down there in your kitchen, between your bowls and dirty towels”, had commented her sister, visibly annoyed, while putting the box in her bag. If only things were that simple.</p><p>To send him a text… </p><p>How eager was she to sacrifice the little pride she had left for a man? She had never been the egotistical type, gladly laying her feelings on the floor for everyone to stomp on, but this time, this <em>one</em> time, she didn’t feel like giving in. She wanted to hold her position. More, her wounded pride and self-worth <em>demanded</em> her not to give an inch and fight for herself instead of succumbing to self-pity and an umpteenth humiliation.</p><p>Once the tartlet shells coated, they put them to the side to chill and Hinata, letting Toneri take out of the fridge a praline ganache to allow it to warm up before pipping, moved on to the next item on her morning to-do list, a caramelized milk chocolate bonbon infused with saffron soaked in rose water. Her latest creation for the Hokage.</p><p>Although the reason behind her temporary residency in the Palace kitchen, Kakashi Hatake’s newfound love for chocolate and sweets of all kinds had quickly spiraled out of control lately, reaching that dreadful point where, even with the extra help of Toneri, Hinata wasn’t able to meet the demand of the voracious Lord Hokage, forcing Chef Masura to address a formal complaint to the Chief of Staff Yamato who had had to put their leader under sugar arrest, carefully monitoring and limiting the number of treats and confections that transited to the eighth floor every day. </p><p>One could find it extremely ridiculous for a grown man in his prime, a prominent figure in his city and country nonetheless, to let himself be beset by his own passionate servitude; that would probably be because one hadn’t experienced for themselves the intoxication addiction of chocolate yet. </p><p>Though the years had slowly eaten away its power over her, Hinata could never forget the sweet craving provided by a soft, rich and delicate treat melting in her mouth, the high brought by the flow of new flavors on her tongue, her amazement before so many textures and endless pairing possibilities, the creaminess of her saliva when sucking on a piece, slowly washing it away into oblivion. How could someone <em>not</em> lose their mind over such forbidden earthly pleasures? <em>No wonder why the Lord Hokage can’t ever be satisfied</em>, she thought lightly. </p><p>Around her, rush hour soon reached its peak before making way for the afternoon lull, itself just as promptly replaced by the dinner hurry straight away, time following diligently its course in an eternal loop, their lives in this closed and delimited space a succession of mechanical repetitions and interactions ruled by defined, immutable external events they had no power over. But routine suited her.</p><p>Some people desperately needed change every so often in their lives, always feeling the need to shake up their habits in search of a shiver to keep them alive. Yet, she found solace in the comforting knowledge that today and tomorrow and the day after that would all be the same, rejoicing at the delicious certainty that, from 10 to 11 p.m., the entire staff meticulously cleaned the kitchen after dinner, like every evening till the end of times, before weakly wishing the night shifters well and abandoning their sparkling stations and dirty clothes, silence gradually setting down on the place within the next fifteen minutes. </p><p>Yes, she loved her predictable and boring life, loved to know her agenda at least fifteen days in advance, loved the security it provided her with, and which made her the polar opposite of her sister Hanabi.</p><p>Falling back asleep after finally emerging during their last picnic had proven to be a mistake, as Hinata had learned the hard way: woken up for good after another hour of sleep, she had been casually informed that, while she was down, the girls had sneakily agreed on having another dinner at their place on the next Saturday evening and this despite Hinata’s pleas about her working on the weekend.</p><p>“So what?” Had immediately snapped her sibling with a hint of superiority in her voice, as if she was detailing to Hinata the only logical path there was for her to take, “You’ll join us right after your shift, dragging Shikamaru with you in there <em>manu militari</em> and sleep at work on the next day if you have to!” Like this was something someone working a manual job could do.</p><p>Forced to give up in front of such determined and pretty peer pressure, Hinata slowly rubbed her neck, the thought of the upcoming party giving her too much anxiety for her to properly enjoy her favorite shift. That damn Hanabi. And Tenten. And Ino. She may have instructed Hanabi to organize everything on her own this time if she really wanted a dinner that bad, she still experienced the same stress as if she had taken on the hosting burden, her brain trained by years of older sister’s duties, and silently cursed the brunette for disturbing her prized peace.</p><p>At least, Hanabi hadn’t invited Naruto. That was already something.</p><p>Should she invite him, then? </p><p>The upcoming Saturday event was a friendly gathering and Hanabi had confirmed to Hinata that everyone else from the old gang, even Sakura, would be there: therefore, the chances for him to hear about it were getting higher and higher by the minute, especially when both Shikamaru, Konohamaru and Hanabi were attending, and she doubted that he wouldn’t take his sidelining personally if he discovered the whole thing.</p><p>At first, she had been relieved that her youngest had known better than to invite her supervisor. Now, however… She bit her lower lip. Sure, she would have been extremely embarrassed and ashamed upon hearing the news, had Hanabi extended the guest list to Naruto, but at least, the choice would have been made for her and she wouldn’t have been left torn and indecisive at midnight over whether or not she should be breaking her vow of silence and make the second step in a row.</p><p>She was fully aware of her inner desires. She wanted him to be there, but did not have the guts to admit it, just like she really wanted the flowers to be more than a courtesy gift and his smiles to be directed at her and her only, her dreamy hopes not only hot air but a tangible reality within a hand’s reach.</p><p>The <em>two</em> of them. <em>Together</em>. That would be nice. They could still act no different from before. She would make him bentos every day, and he would drop by her workplace to say “hello” and maybe hold her hand a second, warming her day before heading back to his office. They would have secret dinners in the stairwell again, and her sunflowers would truly be a symbol of fidelity and affection. And maybe, maybe, when the both of them would be off…</p><p>Vivid images of her scandalous mental wanderings flashed before her eyes and she frantically shook her head in a bashful effort to chase them away, red already spreading to her cheeks and neck. She pressed her hands against her face to cool off, and realized she was displaying a struck dumb smile that, had she been facing her two other colleagues instead of the wall, would surely have made her wish she were buried dead in a hole somewhere. </p><p>She had read that you never smiled because you were happy, but were happy because you smiled. She must have been the happiest she had ever been, then, she thought, before unmolding Kakashi’s bonbons, for her beam was definitely large and bright.</p><p><em>Hinata, you have to stop this nonsense!</em> Her mold hit the hard marble block that was on her station with such a loud bang that her two teammates on the other side of the kitchen jumped. <em>The competition has to be your ultimate priority, and your job a close second!</em></p><p>She sighed. She hated it when she was right. She had only about two weeks left. That was no time to ease off the pressure. Her menu long approved by her chef back in Iwa, she had already sent all the food and extra material that she would need to the exam center and only could keep on practicing her confection skills and studying food safety regulations as she awaited the feared date now.</p><p>But why tell her that he wasn’t gay, then, if it wasn’t to convey her a clear message?<br/>
<em>“Hinata, I like girls and by girls, I mean yo-”</em></p><p>Loud and clear, the Hokage phone rang in the ghost hall, its ringtone echoing between the hangings pots and pans, reverberating on the hard metal surfaces of the furniture and hauling out of their torpor the three on-call cooks. An aide de cuisine rushed to it, quickly taking note of their leader’s requirements. “Full course for five”, they announced once the call ended, exchanging a long knowing stare with their colleague. Deliberately engrossing herself in the inspection of her chocolates, she pretended to be too busy to see where this conversation was heading.</p><p>“Hinataaa”, asked her colleague hesitantly after a short lull, the mention of her name making her clench her teeth. Wasted. “Would you mind bringing their food to the Hokage? I still have to deliver the on-call personnel dinners and it would be better if Ikuyo could stay there, in case there’s another call.”</p><p>The on-call personnel. </p><p>Quiet and straightforward, the younger kitchen staff enjoyed the inherent qualities of the graveyard shift: working the night was a breeze, only disturbed by the occasional Hokage request, which meant easy money and hardly any work. Moreover, the meals they served verged on baby food in terms of elaboration and the long time slots of inactivity allowed them to nap and still get a decent amount of sleep in-between two games of cards. The price to pay for this timeout at work without any supervisor nor rush, however, was to feed the essential staff working the night, forcing the cooks to tour the entire building to bring them their midnight lunch. Receptionists, security guards, and all those other professions that guaranteed the skeleton service during the darker hours of the day had to be fed and, although not numerous, a fistful really in the hive that was the Palace, one still had to navigate the great and empty corridors alone, flickering yellow lights painting the place as more macabre than sunlight ever could, an insidious and ominous feeling looming in the shadows at every somber corner.</p><p>What to do, what to do... She could blatantly answer them “no”, this way effectively avoiding the object of all her desires, or consider this phone call a divine signal for her to embrace a destiny she didn’t know of yet and say “yes”. But Hinata had never done good with choices and therefore, she picked the third option, the sneaky one, the one that would allow her to postpone the dreadful decision-making process. She offered to go on the round instead.</p><p>Protected by her mystical dessert maker status, she had been systematically exempted from this chore up until now and it took her an awful lot of energy to convince her colleague that she really needed a good stretch and a break to stay awake somehow, eventually numbing their suspicion.</p><p>The very faraway and formaline hallway of the biological department, its large windowed laboratories and the snake-like smiles of its workers sending shivers down her spine, bid her a lazy farewell as she hurried back to the elevator almost an hour later, her service trolley finally empty, her mind on the lookout for any potential threat in the dark.</p><p>Miles away from the beautiful silence of the stairwell, with its reassuring vertical space, its light well and never fading silence at 3 a.m. or the comforting familiar grounds of the sixth floor, the Palace displayed a totally different aspect of itself that did not suit her the least, but she couldn’t exactly complain: she had called this upon herself, more concerned with avoiding the eighth floor altogether and its inhabitants than doing her work, her precarious peace of mind depending on how well she’d manage to dodge him.</p><p>“Oh, Hinata!”</p><p>A voice, loud, raspy, crushing, pulled her out of her daydream as she waited in front of the elevator doors on the third floor, echoing all around her in a deafening racket that teared up the quiet of the night. </p><p>Her blood turned to ice and her brain to mush. </p><p>She tightened her grip on the handle of the serving cart.</p><p>Had Hanabi been here, she would surely have laughed at her for this twisted trick of fate, the bad luck that had characterized her entire existence manifesting itself once more at the most inappropriate time. She should have said “no” and risk coming across as the worst teammate ever, she should have taken her decision ages ago instead of taking her chances.  </p><p><em>Too late for that. Now smile, Hinata, smile…</em> She took a deep breath, and spun around with a heavy heart, the most tensed beam ever on her face. Some twenty meters away, Chief of Staff Yamato and Naruto, their hands full of reports, were standing at an intersection, visibly on their way to someplace else. What they were doing so far away from their office at such an ungodly hour was a mystery to her, and she blamed her unlucky star for letting them stand in her way. What were the odds for them to cross paths in those remote lands? Apparently, higher than she could have ever imagined. </p><p>Naruto looked up at Yamato and, even from this distance, she could distinctly see the puppy eyes and the silent begging that the blond Assistant was giving to his supervisor, this later rolling his eyes like an upset mother.</p><p>“Fine, go after her.”</p><p>Setting off like a dog whose master had just unleashed in the park, Naruto rushed towards her in a flash, his reports firmly secured against his wide chest, a cautious smile on his lips. Behind Hinata and her frozen smile of politeness, the elevator doors opened and she stepped in the metal frame, her back pushing her empty trolley inside, keeping the shaft waiting for her in a subtle way to signal Naruto that she couldn’t stay long. The perfect way out in case the conversation soured.</p><p>He seemed just like his usual self, only breathless: his shirt was all crumpled, his blond and spiky short hair were all tousled and the shadows that had taken up residency under his eyes were just as large as she remembered, his big, intense stare making her instinctively look down at her shoes, self-conscious. With her dirty apron and loosely tied neckerchief in the hair to secure her messy bun, she felt even less kept than him.</p><p>“How have you been?” </p><p>His tone was casual, nonchalant even, as he ended the awkwardness that filled the physical gap between the two of them, Hinata still not lifting her glance from the floor, a large scratch on the linoleum of the hallway artificially capturing her attention.</p><p>“Good, thank you for asking”, she answered, her voice barely a whisper. She did not bother to return the question. Her latest dreams made it impossible for her to even look at him in the eyes, too ashamed by the fresh memory.</p><p>“I’ve been told that you’re quite busy.”</p><p>She hummed.</p><p>“Haven’t seen you since last week.”</p><p>Indeed. He had been too busy someplace else with work, she had been too involved in her fantasies and pinning, the both of them had been too busy for a reason or another to meet up or share a text. Unless, just like for hers, his silence hid an inner motive.</p><p>He cleared his throat loudly, probably to dissipate the uneasiness in the air. There was no way that he couldn’t feel the tension that erected a metaphorical wall between the two of them. “Hum, thank you for, hum… the bentos. They were great.”</p><p><em>You’re welcome, glad to finally know you ate them, also I want you but, no big deal, no big deal…</em> She hummed again.</p><p>He moved one step forward and, laying his shoulder against the door frame of the elevator, leaned closer towards her. “If you ever have time in the upcoming days, maybe we could have dinner again or something, ya know…”, he tried after a couple of hollowed sentences her brain didn’t bother computing. </p><p>This time, she finally looked up, her wide, big shy eyes meeting the sharp azure of his own, the sudden sheer proximity of his body tensing up her whole being. His masculine scent was clearly reaching her now and it short-circuited her brain, shutting down the few neurons she felt she had left in the process.</p><p>She could have fainted.</p><p>At this distance, she could actually see the detail of his lips, their darker tone against the tan of his skin, thousand times more appealing and desirable than in any conceivable sick mind projection of hers… He was standing so close to her that all it would have taken for her to gently, softly taste those irresistible lips and finally shut him up for good would have been to stand on her toes shyly to bridge the fifteen-centimeter gap between their mouths, his boyish stare full of anxious eagerness burning a hole through her heart and soul, melting her core into hot lava.</p><p>That face and his intense eyes, those were the reasons why she needed to avoid him at all cost. Why couldn’t she refrain from hoping whenever she was with him and he gave him such a glance? Did he even know he made her stomach thrill and her heart stop and her skin boil whenever he looked at her this way?</p><p>“I don’t know, I’m quite...” she mumbled, her mind in a fog at the sole idea of a face-to-face with the one that had so unceremoniously ignored her for the past few days.</p><p>“Ah, yes, of course…” He scratched his neck.</p><p>Another silence.</p><p>“So, I heard your girls were having a party on Saturday, eh?” She pinched her lips. She knew it. <em>Of course</em>, he had heard about it, it would have been impossible for him not to. “That’s nice, that’s nice…”</p><p>“It’s Hanabi’s event, she’s the one throwing the invitations” she apologized weakly to get herself off the hook, his face now so close to hers that she felt obligated to completely retreat inside the elevator to put as much distance between the two of them as she could, her cheeks on the brink of incandescence. </p><p>She wished she had been a woman of character. She wished she could have been brave enough to act on her feelings and confess to him right now, she wished she hadn’t been so painfully shy and, as it turned out, a <em>closeted pervert</em>. She wished she had Hanabi’s confidence and marched to the beat of her own drum. She wished she could throw her arms around his neck and bring him down closer for a kiss, telling him how much she had missed him and how miserable she had felt without him, but her name was Hinata and all she could do was look away, an image of the splendor of her extreme timidity in glory, undimmed before the breaking of the world.</p><p>He straightened up and let out an amused bark, his cold and joyless laughter making her heartache.</p><p>“Oh, yes, of course, that makes like, total sense, it’s Hanabi’s… thing” spluttered Naruto, his ears red as he now was the one avoiding her glare. “Obviously, why would she invite me ya know, I’m her direct supervisor, she’s invited Konohamaru, she’s even invited Shikamaru whose practically just as much her manager as I am but it’s not official so… yeah, I totally understand, ya know.”</p><p>Except she didn’t.</p><p>Could it be that...</p><p>“You… You would like to come?” It felt surreal. a faint light sneaked into her heart again and she found herself avidly hanging onto his every word like a drunk to their liquor.</p><p>“I kinda was just thinking that maybe, it could be nice seeing each other outside of…” He gave Yamato, who was still waiting on the other side of the hallway, an eloquent sidelong look. “Here, but that’s just if you want to or what…”</p><p>She could not believe her ears. Surely, she must be misunderstanding him. She opened her mouth, speechless, trying to process the thoughts that jostled one another in her mind, incapable of forming a coherent sentence.</p><p>She had to make sure they were on the same page, she had to. “You-You… You want to come to... see me?”</p><p>He looked at her with a bashful smile and shrugged it off.</p><p>“Why else would I go?”</p><p>Hinata had never done drugs before but she betted no substance on earth could have made her feel better than this very instant. The kick was amazing. Powerful. It swelled her heart, turning her guts into a million butterflies and her limbs into slim, her zygomas working so hard to refrain her from smiling with all her teeth that they hurt, her face emitting the heat of a thousand suns. <em>Why else would I go.</em> Five words, five short words but just enough to lift the burden that had been weighing on her tiny shoulders for so long, tend to the wounds of her self-pride and set the rain on fire. How come five little words could hold so much power over one single individual? She wondered. </p><p>“Well, I’m sure that one person more won’t make a difference and that… Hanabi won’t mind.” She could barely look at him in the eyes while saying it. “You may come if you’d like to.”</p><p>He grinned widely, and that was like someone had set off fireworks in a dark winter sky, his contagious smile enlightening his features so much it almost blinded her. The high was mind-numbing, so intoxicating her feet barely touched the ground, gravity having gotten canceled.</p><p>Some fifteen meters down the hall, Yamato cleared his throat loudly.</p><p>“Naruto, my youth is fading away!” He brought to task his assistant, his voice pulling Hinata away from the contemplation of the hearty face of the blond. This later frowned.</p><p>“Hum, I kinda have to go…” So did she, actually. She had been gone for quite some time now, and the last thing she wanted was for her colleagues to start looking for her and find out she was yearning after the Hokage’s assistant, when she was supposed to <em>not</em> let her secret love disturb her from her work the whole time. </p><p>“You’re working on Saturday, right?” Frantically nodding, Hinata was still too lovestruck to answer him with proper words. Naruto grinned at her. “ Will you go there directly after your shift? Oh, and is there a beer you like in particular?” ”</p><p>“I don’t really drink alcohol”, blushed Hinata.</p><p>“Ah, I see.” He stepped out of the doorways and, without any obstacles in front of the motion captors, the doors started closing in front of him. “See you Saturday?” He burst with a wink before totally disappearing behind the metal panels.</p><p>Finally alone, Hinata clang to the handrail, the endorphin dulling her legs so much she now doubted their ability to carry her, her weight all resting on the aluminum bar, her breath shaking. <em>Why else would I go…</em> Those were his exact words. <em>Why else would I go…</em> She cupped her cheeks, warmth radiating against her cooler palms, desperate to calm her blush before meeting with her colleagues again, the stupid blissful smile that split her face in half embarrassing her enough already as it was. </p><p><em>Why else would I go… </em>No chocolate or confection on this whole planet could ever taste as sweet as this innocent confession. He wanted to come to the party not because everyone else was invited, but because <em>she</em> was attending it. He had suggested they grabbed dinner <em>together again</em>. He had inquired about <em>her</em> favorite type of alcoholic beverage. Him, Naruto, wanted to spend time with her, Hinata -and specifically her. If this was a dream, she never wanted to wake up.</p><p>
  <em>Why else would I go.</em>
</p><p>The elevator trembled, grounding her back to reality and she quickly straightened up next to her trolley as the heavy machine stopped on the ground floor, someone having called for it. Why else would I go. She felt so happy she could die. </p><p>Nothing could now spoil her mood for the rest of the week.</p><p> </p><p>“Hinata, you look great already, come downstairs!”</p><p>Wresting her eyes from her reflection in the fingerprint-covered mirror, Hinata chuckled and turned around, towards the phone on speaker that was laying precariously on the rim of one of the staff’s bathroom sinks. “How could you know, you’re in your car”, she mischievously pointed out to her friend, her hands running down her dress in an effort to smooth the fabric and get rid of the wrinkles caused by a day in her bag.</p><p>“Because I know you’re always really pretty, bla bla bla, can we go now? Shino’s been there for hours already, let’s go!” Begged Kiba who was waiting for her some three hundred meters away in his Police vehicle. </p><p>With the both of them working on the evening of the dinner, Kiba had enthusiastically suggested dropping by the Hokages’ Palace to pick her up instead of having the hotel send her her regular chauffeur. A kind and thoughtful gesture on his part, really, as he worked just as an eclectic schedule as hers and, contrary to Hinata, did not have an army of cleaning ladies and a chef to take care of his home chores in his absence but his constant nagging on the phone for her to hurry was starting to stress her out, and she wondered if she wasn’t about to regret arriving after everyone else with the loudest and most impatient man in town.</p><p>Despite the carefully curated detachment for the dinner she had feigned in front of Hanabi over the last three days, Hinata’s encounter with Naruto the other night had raised the stakes at hand and eventually kindled her interest for the event altogether, pushing her as far as to seek the young brunette’s advice regarding her outfit for the occasion; although she knew she would never be as good-looking as an Ino or a Sakura, nothing was stopping her from trying -at least for this time.</p><p>“Oh, who’s that lady and what did she do to my friend Hinata?” Joked Kiba about ten minutes later as she finally got on the passenger’s seat next to him, an embarrassing blush coloring her cheeks as she held her big gym bag containing her change of clothes tightly against her chest, hiding her body despite the ambient heat.</p><p>“Hanabi picked this dress for me” she answered plainly, nervously retucking a lock of dark indigo hair that had escaped her ponytail behind her ear. The outfit was nothing extraordinary in itself for any external observer that didn’t know Hinata, a meer modest white summer dress like there were dozens of in every shop around town, but its length, stopping right under the knee, and the low-cut neckline that disclosed far more than just her collarbones were already more than she was used to to be feeling totally comfortable. </p><p>Under the yellow, vague lights of the compartment, Kiba started to examine Hinata’s face with great attention, his eyebrows frowned suspiciously as he took a closer look at her eyes and lips.</p><p>“You wearing make-up?” He suddenly almost barked, shocked and confused, as he leaned closer to Hinata for confirmation, forcing her to retreat against the warm door of the car, self-conscious.</p><p>“Ju-just a little bit... Is it weird?” She stammered, her heart pounding hard in her chest as she felt her friend’s judging look scan every ounce of her body. She immediately regretted the lipstick and mascara she had had the audacity to put on: what was she thinking? Make-up was intended for real, adult women who knew how to use it, and not little girls like herself who liked playing mommy in their free time. </p><p>Kiba’s head jerked, and he began sniffing the air between them voraciously.</p><p>“And you washed your hair!” He roared after a few seconds, his reaction even more disproportionate. Hinata bit her lower lip, anxious. She had forgotten how overdeveloped Kiba’s senses could be, when he wanted them to.</p><p>“Is the smell too overpowering?” She worried, blanched, as she grabbed the end of her ponytail to smell her hair in turn. After a fourteen-hour shift in the kitchen, it did not seem that improbable for her to shower entirely, especially with all the fumes and vapors that wafted from her colleagues’ stations and filled the closed space air but apparently, being clean and smelling good somehow seemed out of character for her. She wasn’t too sure what this kind of comment disclosed about her everyday appearance.</p><p>Sitting back in his seat, Kiba, visibly awestruck, tutted her slowly, his head shaking in disbelief. “Woh, I swear, if I didn’t know you, I’d think you dressed up for a date”, he told her with a stunned expression on his face before starting the car and setting off in the hot streets of Konoha, deserted at that time of day, except for small groups of youngsters heading for the night district, a couple of blocks downtown. </p><p>Secretly relieved to see her unexpected interrogation over, Hinata settled down in her own sea, a silent, long breath exhaling from her mouth. She couldn’t have been more grateful for the low lighting of the car, for it effectively hid from her friend the embarrassing proof that he had put his finger on something. Kiba was a better detective than she would have guessed.</p><p>She opened her window to let some air inside the suffocating space, the sudden gentle breeze on her skin appeasing her fever and cooling down her body, her bangs, lifted at a frantic and uneven pace, whipping against her forehead. It was always hard for her to believe that even a city as big as Konoha needed to sleep, its busy little ants abandoning the main axes to take shelter in the coziness of their homes at nightfall. For some reason, the now quiet and stern town reminded her of her father. </p><p>She hoped he was doing alright. </p><p>She closed her eyes, letting the gentle whirring of the car engine and the wind on her face lull her away, her closed eyelids picturing in front of them the familiar roads of Iwa and the modernized estate that laid in the dark some two countries away. She somehow pictured it as glum as the Konoha one now, its walls mourning the absence of its little ladies, and that thought sent a shiver down her spine. She didn’t like to imagine her father haunting his own house, desperate to recapture the joy and warmth that inhabited the place before their departure. </p><p>Perhaps it was the memory of the strict paternal figure they had abandoned or her sixth sense talking but, at the sigh of the Leaf Resort’s big revolving doors upon their arrival, Hinata didn’t feel that excited anymore, a strange melancholy having taken roots in her heart. She felt incredibly distraught, an ominous feeling looming over her spirit as if something bad was about to happen, eating away any other sensation of excitement or anxiety she could have potentially experienced, and she promised herself to find time to call home during her break tomorrow.</p><p>Too hot despite the air conditioning blasting at full force inside the building, her dress sticking to her back and her bangs to her temples, she was barely listening to Kiba’s babbling, her mind too busy trying to disperse the discomfort in her chest as they waited for the Hyuga’s private elevator to take them to the penthouse suite. A soft and familiar ring resounded all around them in the muted ambiance of the cabin and when finally, the doors opened in front of them, Hinata’s stomach reached the edge of her lips. </p><p>Next to her, Kiba blinked.</p><p>“Is it even you guys’ place?”</p><p>Hinata didn’t know how to answer such a comment. </p><p>The hallway, yet a decent size, was completely filled with strangers laughing and chatting with one another, a cup in their hand, dancing to the deafening music coming from the first living room beyond the flood of people. Blown away, Hinata took a step back, her eyes wide open, her mouth wobbling at the end of her jaw. </p><p>Hanabi. This had Hanabi written all over. </p><p>Only her sister could have had the <em>nerves</em> to transform an innocent dinner into the disco party of the century without telling her about it before.</p><p>The hotel was going to kill them.</p><p>And then, their father would unburn them and kill her again.</p><p>One way or another, she was dead.</p><p>Getting a grip of himself, Kiba grabbed Hinata’s hand, pulling her back to Earth and the appalling reality of what her night was becoming, and started pushing their way through the cheerful crowd, probably sensing his friend’s distress. “Come on”, she guessed him say more than heard over the surrounding racket, “Let’s find the others.”</p><p>Hinata couldn’t believe her eyes. Carefully hiding behind Kiba’s large frame, holding his hand and walking in his trail like a frightened baby elephant as he elbowed their way through the corridor, she frantically scanned the faces as they progressed laboriously towards the living area, sweating bodies in flimsy dresses or casual shirts and shorts drinking and dancing everywhere around them to the tempo. Tears tingled in the corner of her eyes. </p><p>This was her home. This was the place where she ate, where she showered, where she relaxed. Where she slept. This was her sanctuary and shelter in these foreign and hostile lands, and <em>someone</em> had allowed it to be violated by dozens and dozens of people she had never met in her life. This was her private life, the only place in Konoha with the Hyūga compound where she allowed herself to be and feel vulnerable, and it was heartlessly being vandalized and taken away from her.</p><p>This must have been the most vivid nightmare she had ever had.</p><p>Eventually managing to reach their destination, they quickly discovered that both the living room and the open kitchen were just as populated as the corridor, with the speakers on full blast located somewhere in the masses of guests that blocked most of her view, for the music sounded even louder in there. Next to her, Kiba pointed at something at the back of the room.</p><p>“Is that Shino??” He yelled to her, flabbergasted, an unflattering moronic expression on his face as Hinata’s panicky stare followed his finger. </p><p>Rising above the crowd, in all likelihood standing on the coffee table or one of the sofas, Shino was vaguely dancing to the beat of the basses shirtless, the five women surrounding him, apparently unbothered by his stiff and robot-like moves, giggling and laughing which one another as their hands lasciviously brushed up and down his surprisingly defined torso every now and then. </p><p>When had they crossed into the fifth dimension?</p><p>His laugh like thunder above the noise of the party, Kiba resumed their arduous walk through the unwelcome sea of partygoers, and they soon found themselves at the foot of the little group mindlessly dancing on a solid wooden table. At that very moment, Hinata thanked her ancestors that it wasn’t made out of glass; what were they going to tell the hotel, tomorrow morning?</p><p>“Damn, Shino! You’ve made some new friends apparently, way to go, way to go!” Snickered Kiba, impressed, the dancing gang only now acknowledging their presence.</p><p>“I almost waited”, soberly stated Shino in reference to the time of their arrival as he rigidly swang his hips against the butt of one of the girls. Hinata held back a gasp.</p><p>Had this happened any other time and place than inside her home tonight, Hinata would have found the situation incredibly unexpected but yet entertaining, her measured and calm friend, always so responsible and stern, openly showing a wild side of him she had so hardly ever gotten the chance to witness in her life before. But this was her house and she hadn’t approved any of this madness; worse, it was ruining the perfect evening she had pictured for herself and she couldn't believe she had put on <em>make-up</em> for this circus. Heated up, she left Kiba in Shino’s company, this latter already jumping on top of the table to join the fun, and turned around, her angry eyes scanning the crowd for the brunette behind this disaster. Luckily for her, she did not have to search for long.</p><p>Lying nonchalantly on one of the couches of the room not far, her head resting on Moegi’s breast and her feet on Konohamaru’s laps, the guy feeding her a grape in a splendid image of the decline of mankind, Hanabi Hyūga was relishing the contentments of life, giggling feebly from time to time to a joke shared by her court, enjoying the enjoyment of her subjects more than the party itself and nursing an impressively big glass of what appeared to be beer. Swimming past Shino and his crazy girls, Hinata walked with determination to her sister, set on getting a good explanation about the ongoing craziness that reigned in the penthouse. </p><p>Noticing her sister moving towards her, Hanabi’s face enlightened, an honest smile of happiness blooming on her lips.</p><p>“Wooooh, Hinata!” She shouted as she straightened up on the sofa, oblivious to her elder’s tight-lipped smile and expressionless face. “You look great!” Behind her, bursting out of nowhere, Kiba jostled Hinata slightly to shamelessly go congratulate Hanabi on the event. “Oh, and Kiba’s here too! Enjoy the party, guys!”</p><p>“Hanabi!” Managed to abruptly get out Hinata as the two others backslapped each other like old army buddies, “I thought this was supposed to be just the friends from last time! Who... are those people? And what are we going to tell the hotel?” </p><p>Hanabi guffawed, her eyes playfully rolling like this was some kind of a silly joke and <em>Hinata</em> was the one being dramatic here, brushing off her sister’s anger as a mere child tantrum. “What was I supposed to do? Raidō heard me inviting Konohamaru and Shikamaru”, she explained lightly, “So I could <em>not</em> not invite him and if Raidō was invited, Genma had to be invited and so on… But see, everyone is having a good time and the girls from HR and accounting are going cray-zyyyy, so everything is great! You have to learn to relax and let go, Hina! We’ll fix the rest tomorrow.”</p><p>“Yeah, ‘Hina’, let go for a chaaaaange!” Went one further Kiba, brazen, as he stepped back on the table with Shino and what apparently made up the Accounting department. </p><p>“Hina” was on the verge of apoplexy. </p><p>Belittled by everyone, her feelings something people could just that easily discard, she found herself unimportant and voiceless in this very moment: no matter the words that would come out of her mouth, she just knew nobody around her was in their right mind to even listen to them. But, more than the huge gathering itself, it was her sister’s behavior towards her that hurt her the most: Hanabi was deliberately pushing boundaries she knew of better than anyone else, testing her elder’s limits and patience at every step of their temporary life together in this faraway land and brushing her reluctance off as if it was no big deal. This was <em>their</em> home, to the both of them, and the simple thought that Hanabi had taken such a big decision without consulting her first, haggling invitations to their penthouse like tickets to a low-tier cricket game, actually made her sick</p><p>But again, Hanabi was smiling and her friends were laughing and from the way they all chuckled like schoolgirls and rocked their bodies gently on the sofa, they all had had one drink too many already; making a scene right now wouldn’t do anyone no good. Hanabi would get what she deserved on the next day.</p><p>Hinata took three deep breaths. </p><p>Swallowing her pride back and muting her anger, she put up a front like only she knew how to, hanging a fake generic smile on her lips before diving into the headless mass that slowly swung them in the search of her own friends, tears still threatening to seep at every step she took.</p><p>There must have been over a hundred people in there, if not more.</p><p>From time to time, she actually stumbled upon a known colleague: Iwashi, of the Lord Hokage’s personal guard, effusing in front of a group of guys she vaguely recalled seeing on the eighth floor; that aide de cuisine that Toneri didn’t like, sipping a whole bottle of unknown alcohol on top of the kitchen counter, in high spirits; the assistant to the Head of the Encryption Department, that Hinata knew because they dropped by regularly at night to grab dinner for their boss and themself. <br/>
Each and every one of them a bundle of energy and cheerfulness, blissfully unaware of the crippling anxiety that tore her core.</p><p>Had her own friends -apart from turned-gigolo Shino the flasher- chosen to leave upon seeing what Hanabi had done of the dinner? She couldn’t manage to find anyone and the perspective of spending the rest of the night in a home invaded by strangers wasn’t the least appealing to her. Her anxiety worsened as she searched the faces in vain. Maybe she should head back to work… At least over there, she could enjoy some quiet and feel safe, safer than in this nightmare version of her house.</p><p>Disoriented in the crowd, smaller than most partygoers, Hinata tried to retrace her steps to the door in the forest of dancing bodies, her small stature enabling her way less effectively than Kiba to charge through the people. She couldn’t breathe. It was hot, very hot in the suite and the music pulsating all around was depriving her of her hearing, the low frequencies rippling through her chest accentuating her stress. She couldn’t breathe. Someone accidentally bumped their elbow in her side, propelling her against another stranger that aggressively told her to back off. She couldn’t breathe. Where was that stupid hallway? She couldn’t breathe. She was about to faint. She couldn’t breathe she couldn’t breathe she couldn’t breathe she couldn’t breathe she couldn’t brea-</p><p>“Temari!” </p><p>The miraculous sight of the cellist, two meters away in front of her, her blonde and unruly hair styled into two ponytails that rose above the crowd like a beacon of light, had Hinata rushing towards the familiar figure, the wave of relief she was experiencing turning her limbs to mush and making her boldly hug the waist of the woman like a child who had found their mother again. Although Shikamaru’s girlfriend’s harsh persona had always kept Hinata at a distance, she was too happy to finally see an acquaintance to trouble herself over any sort of decorum.</p><p>Surprised by the sneak attack, Temari tensed up for a second, her laughter wrapping them sweetly as she recognized her attacker, and she hugged the bluenette back.</p><p>“Hinata, how good to see you! How are you…”</p><p>She stopped short. Against her, the spasm of a sob shook Hinata.</p><p>“Oh, honey, don’t cry”, pleaded Temari, embarrassed by the little woman hung up to her dress who shed floods of tears against her chest, “Come on, the gang is actually sitting in the home cinema, we’ve been waiting for you! Come on, let’s go see them.”</p><p>Hinata felt exhausted. All she wanted now was for the night to be over already so that she could try and grab a few hours of sleep before her next shift, but the party was raging on around them and she didn’t know if she even had a bedroom anymore. She felt completely messed up, thin-skinned and ready to implode, the amassed lack of sleep hitting her with full force to trample on her hopes and dreams, her entire world collapsing around her. Had she been seventeen, she would have curled up into a corner and cried her eyes out til morning.</p><p>But she wasn’t seventeen anymore. Knowing there was nothing that could be done about the situation at hand, she wiped the tears that sprinkled her cheeks the best she could instead and, her fist still firmly clenched around Temari’s black dress, let the taller woman lead them through this labyrinth that she used to know.</p><p>“Heeeey, Hinata!” Loudly welcomed her the group that had made theirs the unused home cinema next to the second living room on the other side of the suite, effectively shutting themselves away from the ongoing bustle that reigned in the rest of the penthouse. “You’re here!” </p><p>Everyone was there, indeed: Tenten and Lee, leaning against the wall next to the door, a glass in their hands, were lively commenting on some latest sports game. On the huge couch in the center of the room, Ino was laughing at something Shikamaru was telling her, her husband by her side too engrossed in his sketchbook to be paying attention to what was going on around him. And, sitting on two recliners that they had brought closer together, Sakura and Tamaki were playing cards. With Naruto. Sprawled on the hard floor of the room.</p><p>Relief washed over her as she found herself surrounded by all those friendly faces greeting her, their warm presence comforting her aching heart. She let go of Temari’s dress to shyly bow at everyone and the cellist motherly pushed her towards the gang, commanding her to go sit down while she fixed them a drink. Hinata had to admit: it felt nice being taken care of.</p><p>“Hinata, over here!” Hailed her Sakura and Naruto, Tamaki already up on her feet to come and coax her into joining their group, kidnapping her nimbly before Tenten and Lee could do anything, “Did you just arrive?”</p><p>Hinata hummed, a timid beam on her face as they passed Naruto who scouted to the side to make way for the two girls, Tamaki’s surprising iron grip bruising her wrist, but she didn’t care: he had smiled back at her.</p><p>“Here, you take my seat” bossed her the brunette as she pushed her down into the chair, the unexpected change of balance making Hinata collapse on it more heavily than she would have wished, her hair and dress spinning around her. “Naruto”, she then badgered the poor young man on the floor as he was about to say something, “Why don’t you go get Hinata a drink, hum?”</p><p>“No need for that really, Temari-” started to protest Hinata, embarrassed already as it was by her red eyes and untimely arrival but Naruto, shouting a sloppy “On it!” that betrayed his blood alcohol level, was already rushing outside the room on Temari’s steps. </p><p>“You better not cheat, though!” He warned Tamaki before crossing the door, his suspicious stare set on the woman standing next to Hinata.</p><p>Hinata giggled, a distorted version of her usual quiet laughter that betrayed her emotional state and stress. Over here, at least, everyone was having a good, <em>civilized</em> time and the din of the party wasn’t as astonishing as in the rest of the apartment, meaning that they could all carry their conversations without having to shout themselves hoarse. She turned around to smile at Tamaki and Sakura… Only to find them standing uncomfortably close to her, a sardonic grin on their faces.</p><p>“Well, well, well” snickered Sakura in the other recliner, her body completely leaning over the gap that separated their armchairs, “Look at that sly little fox over there, acting all innocent and stuff!”</p><p>“Yeah Hinata, why don’t you tell us some more about this <em>surprising</em> guest list of yours, hum?” Doubled down Tamaki, her smirk so wide and large that her face looked cut up in half.</p><p>
  <em>Oh oh. Red alert.</em>
</p><p>Hinata’s head instinctively retreated in-between her shoulders, her hands rising between her and the two girls in a feeble attempt at keeping their curiosity at bay. “It’s Hanabi who turned this all dinner thing into a party, not me…” </p><p>“We ain’t talking about that and you know it!” Immediately interrupted her Sakura who was definitely not buying it, “What is <em>he</em> doing over there? We’ve spent years keeping you guys apart and now, you’re pulling one over us?”</p><p>She wasn’t exactly wrong. </p><p>Hinata may not have ever commented on her feelings publicly or explicitly stated that she wasn’t attending this or that social event anymore in fear of stumbling across Naruto, she also knew her friends were far from being dumb and that Kiba’s mouth was so big it could never be shut: after a couple of birthdays and weekends organized without the blond in view, it had become quite clear to her that they had taken the hint.</p><p>The words were rushing in her brain, disorganized; Sakura and Tamaki’s high-pressure tactics were proven way too effective on someone like her. “ItisnotlikethisIswear” she spluttered, a brand new kind of panic seizing her.</p><p>How could she explain his presence tonight without confessing the whole story? And if she did tell them everything, how could they not judge her nor be angered by her weak behavior? They had done their best -especially Sakura- to separate the two of them for the past five years or so, carefully duplicating parties or choosing one over the other to accommodate Hinata’s bruised ego, that she couldn’t conceive them forgiving her for now actively pursuing the reason of this great split. No, she needed to come up with a good lie; unfortunately, that wasn’t a talent Hinata was particularly known for.</p><p>“Well, the reason is... That…” She started again, the impatient glares making her accidentally look away.</p><p>Bursting into the room like a tornado, making his way back to the girls in a controlled spin-out, Naruto picked this exact moment to show up again, a bottle and a set of glasses in his hands, a self-satisfied smirk on his lips, promptly interrupting them. Although he was the exact reason why they were having that uncomfortable discussion in the first place, Hinata still couldn’t be more thankful for his timely intervention.</p><p>“Tadaaaaam, I’m back!” He yelled at them, almost supernaturally happy, oblivious to the dark looks his game partners were throwing at him. “Naruto Uzumaki, faster than lightning!”</p><p>Sakura sat back in her chair with a displeased pout. “You dumbass, why are you back so soon!” She grunted, pretending to hit the drunk blond as he was trying to sit back on the floor again, hemmed in by his load.</p><p>“Huh? What’s wrong, I did exactly what I was asked to!” He roared, stupefied. Tamaki sighed heavily. </p><p>“Nevermind, you wouldn’t understand anyway” she snapped as she rolled her eyes at him before turning again towards Hinata, her eyes clearly signaling the bluenette that this was only a rain check, before asking her if she had seen Kiba or Shino.</p><p>“I have” assented Hinata, her tensed body relaxing as she felt the storm fade away. “I left them in the big living room, they-”. She marked a pause. Was it wise to tell a hot-tempered woman the kind of activities her boyfriend was engaging in? “Shino made some new friends, the people from…”</p><p>“Woh, HR and accounting are there?” Barged in Sai from the couch, his eyes ungluing from his notebook. “You know those girls are wild? One time, one of them…”</p><p>Tamaki didn’t need much more. “Okay, I get the picture, then”, she chortled, a touch of mischief in the brief glance that suggestively traveled from Hinata to Naruto. “I’m gonna go look for them, you should play for me! I’m losing anyway.” </p><p>Hinata really wondered what kind of a boyfriend Kiba was on a daily basis. He who could prove so loud, stubborn and into his dog, she had always envisioned her friend ending with a more quiet, caring and grounded personality, not his female cat lady reflection. Life in their home must have been quite chaotic. </p><p>Next to her, Sakura delicately laid her hand over Hinata’s forearm, a knowing smile on her lips. “By the way, it’s good to see you again, Hinata. It’s been so long. Thank you for having me”, mouthed the doctor for her benefit only.</p><p>The pink woman looked as tired as at Ino’s wedding, her already thin body skinnier than Hinata could ever remember, large dark circles that even her makeup couldn’t make totally disappear solid under her eyes. Seeing her this way squeezed Hinata’s heart a little: Sakura had always been your typical overachieving and overworking woman who didn’t leave herself much room for anything else, and she felt bad that this was only their first encounter since she had moved back in town. “I’m glad to finally see you too”, whispered discreetly in return Hinata. The pink woman smiled even more. On the floor, a drunk Naruto pouted.</p><p>“Why do you never say such nice things to me?” He whined, needily shaking Sakura’s leg like a neglected child.</p><p>“Because even when I don’t want to see you, you’re there!”</p><p>There was a definite strangeness to the scene, noted Hinata for herself as she observed Sakura and Naruto’s banter; the blond brought to the room a certain loudness and rough energy that, even in Lee or Ino’s presence, the group never quite managed to attain usually. Even Sakura seemed completely different from her normal self, her sweet and more mature behavior making way for the harsher tones of her teenage years. Right now, it almost felt like she was back in high school.</p><p>Soon, however, Sakura abandoned Naruto for her cellphone and he quickly proceeded with pouring the little trio a glass of sparkling apple juice, a drink he, as he proudly mentioned, had brought on purpose himself. “Dumbass, there is an entire table of bottles in the dining room, what could you have possibly brought that’s not on there?” Scolded him Sakura as she refused the cup he was presenting to her, insisting that she liked her liquor with <em>actual</em> liquor in it. Her face buried in her own drink, Hinata could barely hide her joy -the sparkling beverage was definitely a delicate attention for her.</p><p>After a gentle chatter, and with Tamaki not coming back from the raging party outside their door, the trio settled on starting a new game of cards, promptly joined by Sai who had dropped his sketchbook to join them in their sparkling cider tasting. To Hinata’s relief, the game was fairly simple, nowhere nearly as complex as Poker or any other card game played in the Tsuchikage’s kitchen back in Iwa, which definitely suited her; she honestly wasn’t in the sharpest mindset right now and anything too complicated would have fogged and put her mind to sleep more than anything.</p><p>With Sakura barely paying real attention to what was happening, too busy checking her phone every other minute as if she was waiting on someone, and Sai too pure to elaborate or see through Naruto’s twisted strategies, she soon found herself the only worthy opponent and had to mobilize all the working neurons she had left to keep up with an even drunker Naruto, who’s alcohol level had reached new highs thanks to the two beers he had drunk back to back after Sai had finished the juice. Despite his smashed state, he appeared to be playing only better and better with each new game, a feat Hinata deemed to be verging on the miraculous.</p><p>“Trust me, this time you cannot win… King.”</p><p>A shiver crossed the little group that had collected together around them, and Hinata bit her lower lip. She hesitantly drew a card from her hand, and dropped it on top of Naruto’s, Sai and Sakura already out for this trick. Behind her, Tenten started laughing.</p><p>“Oh, Naruto, this is what is called getting your ass handed to you!” Gibed the table tennis player, short-winded, as she nearly collapsed on the floor, merry. Laying against Sakura’s recliner, Naruto examined her card, skeptic.</p><p>“I cannot believe it! You had all the twos!” </p><p>“Beginner’s luck?” Suggested Hinata with a smile as Shikamaru coughed a very audible “Sore loser!” in their back and Ino congratulated her with a pat on the shoulder. Would have them been alone, she would have gladly let him win on purpose to flatter his ego, for this kind of thing held no importance to her, but with everyone else around them commenting on their hands, she had felt pressured to play properly. Upset and pouting, Naruto threw his cards on the floor.</p><p>“Man, I don’t wanna play if I ain’t winning anymore!” A couple of meters away, Tenten started crying out of laughter.</p><p>“Come on, let’s go grab some fresh air at the window” he mumbled, his ears red from the affront inflicted by their openly mocking friends, who were now returning to their seats with mocking laughs. Hinata followed him suit, now truly regretting that she had been so easily convinced to play right: she had no idea Naruto would take a loss or two so poorly. Her eyes threw daggers at Tenten as she walked to the home cinema’s picture window, usually closed by electrical blinds, but the sportswoman was too busy joking with Ino to notice the negative energy Hinata was sending her way. “No, not you, Sai!” </p><p>The young man sat right back on the floor, discomfited, as Naruto pushed the heavy panel open and invited Hinata to lean against the guardrail with him.</p><p>She wasn’t too sure about what she was supposed to say to him; his negative energy was perceptible to the naked eye and he wasn’t even looking at her, brooding in front of the sleeping neverending city that laid on their doorstep, the occasional siren or car horn echoing in a street beyond their eyes’ reach from time to time. </p><p>“Sorry for winning” she eventually murmured, apologetic. She didn’t know what else to say to him.</p><p>Ocean blue eyes opened wide. “I don’t mind losing!” He assured her, his facial expressions changing in their entirety, and she frowned upon hearing this big of a lie. “Not if it’s to you”, he hastened to add and, for a second, he seemed so sincere that she was tempted to believe him. Their stares crossed. In the distance, the wind shook some green leaves of the forest surrounding Konoha. He grinned. He wasn’t mad at her.</p><p>It suddenly felt like that one time, back at Sai and Ino’s wedding, when they had danced together one song after the other, when nothing outside the two of them mattered or even existed, the world around them muting itself on purpose to give them just the extra help they needed. He gazed at her. She blushed, but gazed back at him.</p><p>Everything stood still.</p><p>“This is nice”, he commented with one of those smirks she secretly wished were only for her.</p><p>“This is <em>very</em> nice”, she concurred, a shy smile stretching her red lips. She suddenly prayed very hard not to have lipstick on her teeth.</p><p>Nonchalantly, his eyes butterflying on the guardrail, his crossed arms, the infinity of the sky, the guardrail again, Naruto slid closer to her with a jolt, his elbow meeting hers, his cotton-covered shoulder pressing against her bare one. </p><p>Her heart missed a beat.</p><p>Or maybe two. </p><p>He was close, way closer than they ever were at the dance, almost as close as when she had given him the peck, this unexpected proximity playing havoc with her stomach, knotting and unknotting it as anxiety and anticipation refused to mix together. She tried to swallow, but her mouth was desperately dry. </p><p>Could she really be the only one to feel this way?</p><p>He leaned a little bit more towards her. “I’m glad I get to see you tonight.”</p><p>Was this all a dream again? Hinata was having the hardest time trusting her senses. The stars, his words, his face getting so incredibly near hers that-</p><p>“I’m glad too” she sighed, incapable of staring at anything other than his lips, so close to hers now that she could almost already feel his breath on her skin. Shall she make the next move? Traditionally, it would have been up to the man but she was growing so impatient that she didn’t know if she would have enough restraint for that. Except he was ogling her lips as well. It was happening. She tilted her head towards his more, her entire core contracting and bracing itself for impact. It was happening. He paused for a second, and then slowly, very slowly, so slowly it felt like someone had put the whole sequence in slow motion, he dived toward her. It was happening. She closed her eyes. It was happening.</p><p>“Is that the reason why you didn’t want me to join you guys?”</p><p>They jumped away from one another, retreating so fast that Hinata’s arm hit the metal frame of the opened panel, causing her face to contort into a grimace of pain. Two meters away, dramatically leaning against the wall, his hand on his heart, Naruto, who seemed just as panicked as her, was gaping at the intruder who had sneaked behind them in a moment of distraction.</p><p>“Sai!” He stormed, their friend looking a tad too innocent to have genuinely interrupted them by mistake, “Geez! Who invited you?”</p><p>“What, what did my boy Sai do this time?” Retorted Kiba, back from the dead, as he chided in the conversation uninvited, his shirt now gone and a big “TAMAKI” in red lipstick letters scribbled across his torso. Hinata lowered her eyes, not wanting to risk meeting Naruto’s. Their moment was over again, and she would combust on the spot if she had to even just cast him a glance. It was better to run away from this failed ordeal as quickly as possible.</p><p>Taking advantage of the ambient chaos, she went for the door, but Kiba wasn’t going to let her go that easily. “Actually have you guys seen Shino?” Asked Kiba while he grabbed Hinata by the shoulder before throwing his very naked arm around her, now making her uncomfortable for a whole new set of reasons, “I lost him in the techno bathroom!”</p><p>The <em>techno bathroom</em>? Best not to think about it tonight.</p><p>“He’s probably with Accounting and HR in the jacuzzi”, suggested Sai as he leaned outside the window to point at the penthouse’s terrace, barely visible from that angle: from the splashing noises that could be heard, it seemed like the partygoers had registered its existence and were now exploring the whirlpool bath. Hanabi was going to be so very dead tomorrow.</p><p>“HR and Accounting?” Repeated Naruto as he dashed to check on the terrace as well, his body leaning so much over the barrier that Hinata was worried he would fall over, “Those ones are wild! At Kakashi's birthday party, one of them…”</p><p>“Come on, let’s go find him!” Told her Kiba, and she let him drag her outside of the Home Cinema, back into the effluvia and ferment of the party.</p><p>It was worse than at their arrival: spilled drinks sprinkled the floor and walls alike as the dancing areas had multiplied with the apparition of new speakers and some people were starting to vomit in the most inappropriate places, the line for the toilet too long for them to even consider trying for them. </p><p>“I don’t see him anywhere, go check the second living room and I’ll do the dining one!” Articulated Kiba after they had scanned the main living room, in vain. </p><p>Stepping over broken bottles and a couple of party-goers taking a break, Hinata took the less busy corridor that led to the bedrooms, hopefully, spared by the torments of the ongoing disturbance. No one in the second living room, except for Genma and a couple of other people calmly talking who gave her a small nod when she peeked her head through the door. Where could Shino be?</p><p>Behind her, Hanabi’s door opened and Moegi appeared, a subtle flush coloring the cheeks of the young woman. “Oh, Moegi!” Hailed her hurriedly Hinata, surprised to see the girl come out of her sister’s bedroom, “Have you seen my friend Shino, by any chance? The one with the sunglasses?” Obviously embarrassed, the redheaded girl mouthed a “No, sorry!” before vanishing in the crowd again, and Hinata furrowed her brows: there was definitely something off about Moegi’s behavior, but luckily for her, she was too engrossed in her search already to push her investigation further for now.</p><p>Shino wasn’t in her father’s suite, apparently locked by Hanabi before hands, nor in the infamous “techno bathroom” or the dining room, in which she found Kiba drinking with Temari and Shikamaru; even the terrace, now the stage for an impromptu water battle, revealed itself empty of his presence and, tired of the endless mêlée, Hinata went back to the Home cinema, miffed from drawing a blank. Of course, Shino was a grown man but neither of them was used to such events and she hoped he was doing okay, alive and well, better than drunk and passed out in some closet. </p><p>“So, Naruto, spill the beans! Who is Hana?”</p><p>The familiar codename, somehow heard a week before during her nap at the Hyūga estate, brought Hinata to an abrupt halt outside of the room, less than a meter away from the open door: in spite of the racket, she could clearly hear Ino’s voice, rendered louder than ever by the alcohol and the late hour, as well as the ones of Sakura and Tenten, all three probably crowded around the blond Assistant.</p><p>“Whaaaat? What’s that about?” </p><p>“There’s <em>also</em> a Hana, now?”</p><p>“What do you mean, ‘also’?”</p><p>It was wrong, very wrong to be spying on people’s private conversations, but she had heard too much already to simply barge in comfortably and act as if nothing had happened. Anxious, her breath accelerating unintentionally, she pressed herself against the wall even more, attentive to avoid being seen; worse than listening would be getting caught.</p><p>“Oh, Narutoooo! What a player!”</p><p>“Is that a secret code for Hinata?”</p><p>For it had to be, right? She hadn’t dreamed Ino complaining about him buying sunflowers at her shop, the very same sunflowers he had given her, again and again, the last couple of weeks? </p><p>In the room, Naruto finally expressed himself, a grunt preceding any explanation.</p><p>“You guys don’t even know what you’re saying anymore”, he answered, apparently disgruntled. “I keep telling you, Hinata and I are just friends! It’s not like I’m interested in her or anything! Why is it that when a man and a woman are being nice to one another, people start talki-”</p><p>She had heard enough.</p><p>Hurt in her pride, Hinata immediately turned around, carelessly plowing into anyone on her way to her bedroom. She needed a safe place to cry. She wouldn’t allow anyone to see her sob right after such a public humiliation.</p><p> As she abruptly took a corner, she bumped into Shino, mysteriously dressed again, and didn’t even bother stopping for him or checking if he was alright.</p><p>“Hinata, I’ve been told that you were looking for me… Hinata?” She heard him ask as she abruptly walked to her bedroom with great strides before violently opening her door, startling the poor couple that was happily making out on her bed.</p><p>“Out!” she commanded, the ice in her tone enough to convince the duo to make a bolt for the exit. She slammed the door behind them and, frantically pulling the sheets off the bed, finally collapsed on the bare mattress. </p><p>She buried her face against the padded cotton and laid still for what almost felt like an eternity, her silent tears of burning disappointment soaking the bed against her skin -before letting out a muffled scream of agony.</p><p>How could she have been stupid enough to hope that he had taken a liking to her? Nothing had changed since high school, she was still the same uninteresting and plain invisible girl and him, the popular one who only noticed her by pure kindness -or when there was no one better around to hang out with. And the worst part was that she knew it would turn out like this from the start, she had made that mistake once already and yet, she had gladly fallen into the open trap that lay for all to see in front of her very eyes. She was stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid stupid, stupid-</p><p>She screamed again, this time with all the force her lungs were capable of.</p><p>
  <em>Hinata, you have no one to blame other than yourself, you stupid...</em>
</p><p>It was the straw that broke the camel’s back: beyond exhaustion, stuck in a foreign country and an invaded house, on a bed with no linen now stained with smeared mascara and lipstick, Hinata burst out crying, the bitter taste of deception and shattered dreams filling her mouth and sticking to her tongue.</p><p>“Hinata?” Knocked someone on the door, but she didn’t answer. She wanted to be left alone. She wanted to sleep for an eternity and never wake up.</p><p>“Hinata, it’s Shino”, announced the voice behind the wooden panel. “I’m coming in.”</p><p>Unbothered by the presence of a friend she held as a bother, Hinata kept on crying as Shino carefully entered the room, cautiously locking the door behind them so that no intruder could accidentally disturb them. Against her back, she felt his body sitting down on the mattress, the pressure of the extra weight tilting her slightly, and he listened to her sobbing gently, the woman unable to stop herself. </p><p>“Do you want to talk about it?” He finally queried, long after her tears had dried out and her quivering body had relaxed. She shook her head timidly in the dark and he simply laid down against her, his arm hugging her curled up petite silhouette as she quickly spiraled down a sleepless sleep, full of dark shadows and bright headlights.</p><p> </p><p>Something moved against her and that was what woke her up before her alarm, despite the short nap and the emotional exhaustion. She feebly turned her head around and, pressed against her back, his mouth slightly opened and his features completely relaxed, she found Shino, still peacefully asleep, who hadn’t left her side. She smiled. </p><p>Carefully tiptoeing out of her room, she then began to assess the damage in the penthouse, weaving adroitly between the dead bottles and party-goers sprinkled on the floors and furniture. She sighed.</p><p>The place was disgusting. Sweet drinks had been spilled everywhere, sticking to the sole of her bare feet with each step she took, and the first living room had been purely and solely wrecked in its entirety, one of the couch cushions even laying ripped open on the floor, its feathery filling scattered all around the place. </p><p>Strangely enough, this sight of devastation did not trigger any emotional response in Hinata; perhaps had she become more laid back during the night, or she had died inside. One or the other. She surely did feel as empty as the abandoned bottles on the floor, with no substance left inside of her whatsoever.</p><p>Although the other rooms hadn’t suffered as much damage as the main living area, she was welcomed by the same kind of pitiful sight everywhere and, deciding that this was a way too depressing way to be spending her morning, soon stopped her general inspection, leaving it for Hanabi to deal with. </p><p>Speaking of Hanabi... The young woman was nowhere to be seen, her bed occupied only by a very disheveled Moegi, and so were her own friends: they must have all left after her vanishing without further ado, as to be expected.</p><p>The hot shower she took right after helped her feel better, her smeared make-up running down the drain with the sweat and filth of the night, and it was like the watery warmth she was wrapping herself in breathed some life back into her soul and heart, making her feel surprisingly fresh and more energized than she could have ever imagined expected.</p><p>She had known from the start that this was all in her head. Things were better this way, right? She would probably cringe for the rest of her life at how she had extrapolated so many things based on teeny tiny little clues that only she could see, but the mourning of her teenage love also had something soothing, relieving almost. Now at least, she was finally set on their situation and could move on -definitely. After all, there was no need to get mad or feel cheated -she had brought this upon herself.</p><p>She slid outside of her bathroom, sneaking to her dresser in search of a clean set of clothes, Shino’s faint breathing disrupting at regular intervals the quiet of the room. She glanced at him for a second with a motherly love, and chuckled silently. At rest and without his glasses, his face looked tremendously different, his softer features making him appear ten years younger and reminding her of their high school selves. How could she let herself be sad when surrounded by her loved ones, who always knew when to be there for her? She couldn’t. She had to be brave, if not for herself, at least for them.</p><p>Finally dressed up, her bag for the day packed, she headed for the kitchen and started rummaging around the turned upside-down drawers and cabinets for some tea, the sounds she made eliciting some weak growls from the scattered bodies around her. She abruptly stopped herself, embarrassed to be disturbing them, before changing her mind and resuming her search: she might have well been as delicate as possible while moving stuff around, this was still her house, after all.</p><p>She eventually found what she was looking for behind a bag of rice and immediately filled her kettle with water to place it on the stove to heat up, when the faraway ring of the elevator caught her attention. After a few seconds of no one walking in though, she left her water to boil, and decided to cross the room herself to go and check on the mysterious presence, praying as hard as she could for it not to be a hotel staff: she didn’t need the added stress and drama so early in the morning.</p><p>“Hello?” She asked with her voice as loud as possible, while still maintaining a decent volume out of consideration for the sleeping guests. No answer. She peeked an eye at the corridor.</p><p>Had she been hungover or drunk at this exact moment, she would have sobered up in a second as stupefaction hit her violently. </p><p>Dark and menacing, his long hair hiding most of his face, Sasuke Uchiha stood tall in the metal doorway of the elevator, a small wrapped package in his right hand, his expression unconcealing the storm that continuously raged inside of him, somewhat tainted with slight uncertainty.</p><p>He had always intimidated her, even back in the day when they were only eleven and starting school all together. If one could argue that Naruto was her polar opposite either in terms of physical attributes and personality, Sasuke was like a deformed version of herself, then: both quiet and emotionally closed off, he transuded inaccessibility and contempt from his perfect body’s every pore, a wall of hardness for people to come unstuck with. She acutely remembered actively dodging him back then, quickly turning back or diving behind Kiba each time their paths would cross, blending in the background every chance she got to prevent any unwanted interactions with him, his sole aura enough to make her feel worse about herself than she already did.</p><p>They exchanged a brief glance, neither of them really knowing what to say or how to act, and it was like a stone had felt down her stomach. To the way that his body didn’t flinch, even the slightest inch, Hinata guessed that he hadn’t recognized her.</p><p>No way Hanabi would have invited him, she knew this much. It must have been someone else. Naruto, maybe?</p><p>Definitely feeling as awkward about the situation as her, Sasuke cleared his throat. “Someone told me there was a party”, he justified himself, his hawk-like stare scanning the hallway, as dirty as the rest of the suite. “But this doesn’t look much like one to me.”</p><p>“That’s usually what happens when you show up at 6 a.m.” replied Hinata, too startled to think of anything else to say. </p><p>She must have done something really bad in a previous life. That was the only explanation for all the blows fate had been throwing her way ever since last night. “I see”, he answered simply, and they both stood still at their respective end of the corridor.</p><p>She hadn’t had a chance to examine him in detail last time in the Hokage’s office but right now, under the white and powerful lights of the elevator and the hallway, coupled with the morning sun, his face appeared to her more clearly than ever. </p><p>The terrifying boy from her youth had grown up and aged, his body stretching in length, and he had retained his unapproachable looks and unpleasant vibe he was already displaying at eleven years old but now, now that she wasn’t taken aback as much as last time, what struck her the most was how <em>human</em> and tired he seemed.</p><p>He wasn’t thirty yet, but could have easily passed for a man of thirty-five. His drawn features, his sagging shoulders and the overall unkempt appearance of a salaryman who had spent his night at his office desk had eaten away his luster, making him look like any average overworked employee in the whole world, him who used to be promised to such a greater, godlier future. Suddenly, she almost pitied him -a sensation she had never envisioned experiencing for him.</p><p>On the doorway of the elevator, facing her, Sasuke started rocking uncomfortably on his feet, allowing the silence to linger between them a moment longer until -probably upon realizing that she wasn’t going to say anything else- he bowed slightly and wished her well, readying himself to leave. “Thank you for having me” he told her, an automatism more than a real mark of respect. “I’ll be on my way, then.”</p><p>Was she being impolite to him, although he wasn’t her guest? The party may have been over, and his attendance may not have occurred to her in a thousand years but, he had made the effort to show up and letting him leave straight away without <em>at least</em> inviting him in first went against over 20 years of deeply ingrained strict Hyūga education. Seeing him take a step back and going for the elevator’s button, she snapped out of her torpor and made a move in his direction.</p><p>“Sasuke, wait!” She hailed him suddenly, flushing before the dark look he gave her when turning his head towards the voice, “Would you maybe like something drink?</p><p> </p><p>“You’re the person from last time.” Indeed, he didn’t know who she was. Not exactly a huge surprise, though. “How do you know my name?”</p><p>“We went to the same high school” she kindly mentioned as she sat down directly on the large paving stones of the terrace, less of a mess than the inside area, the outside heat having deterred most party-goers from stepping on it. Following her lead, Sasuke awkwardly sat down next to her, too well educated despite his inherent rudeness to say no to the person he had barged into the home of without warning.</p><p>“Did we? I don’t remember?”. Again, not surprising.</p><p>Her eyes closed, Hinata took a deep breath, the timid sun dawning in the distance pleasantly warming up her milky skin. She could feel how uneasy they both were in each other’s presence right now but, truth be told, she egotistically did not want to be left alone right now: with someone else by her side, she was forced to put on a smile and think of something else than her broken heart.</p><p>She enjoyed the vitamin C getting in a system a breath longer, before serving her guest a cup of tea that she handed to him with infinitely more care than his dinner last time.</p><p>“What are we drinking?” He asked, his stern eyes staring at the cup’s content cautiously, as if she might have taken advantage of this opportunity to poison him. That thought made her smile.</p><p>“Just tea” she reassured him as she brought her own cup to her lips and encouraged him to try the beverage, her face working hard to repress a smile.</p><p>“Not really party-ey” he noted.</p><p>“Please, feel free to grab a bottle inside.”</p><p>He shook his head and downed his cup in one go. “I’m good.” </p><p>Drinking tea on the terrace and enjoying the rising sun was definitely not a bad way to start your, thought Hinata as they let the silence settle again between them, her tea too hot for her to even think of drinking it like him. Was he that dead inside, that the burn of hot water didn’t affect his carnal envelope?</p><p>“That’s quite a place you’ve got there.” </p><p>Was… Was he trying to do small talk? This sole idea got her choking on her beverage.</p><p>“It’s-It’s my father’s, but thank you”, she managed to get out between two coughing fits that turned her crimson, and she hastily hid in her cup. </p><p>Another lull.</p><p>As she desperately tried coming up with a new subject of conversation, the small wrapped package that he was still holding in his right hand caught her attention again, and she pointed at it with a move of the chin. “Is this for someone in particular?” Perhaps, the person that had invited him to join them? </p><p>Sasuke looked away and, in that very instant, she could have sworn he was almost blushing.</p><p>“I was feeling uncomfortable about coming to a party I wasn’t invited to, so I brought a little something for the hosts” he explained, his eyes resolutely focused on the sky to put up a front as he nonchalantly handed her the small rectangular gift. </p><p>He had brought a present to excuse himself for showing up uninvited. </p><p>What a peculiar man. </p><p>Receiving the object with both hands and the utmost deference, Hinata tried her best to conceal her astonishment: light as it was, it must have been a book, then. “You shouldn’t have”, she mumbled, now curious to see what the <em>great and terrifying</em> Sasuke Uchiha could have deemed a decent enough read to be shared with others. “Most of last night’s attendees weren’t planned anyway... May I open it?”</p><p>Careful, she slipped her finger under the rim of the wrapping paper, sliding it to the small piece of tape that held the folded ensemble together and, with a slight pressure, detached it, unveiling a used print with a pared-down front cover. The title,<em> Capitalism, desire and servitude</em>, was spread in big, plain white letters on it. “Oh.” She had no idea what that book was about but, from its title, it surely had nothing to do with the Power of fire teenage fantasy saga she had been reading lately. “Thank you very much...?”</p><p>In his free time, Sasuke Uchiha read anti-capitalism essays. And when he had had to choose a gift to bring to a total stranger, that was the first thing that had come up to his mind as an ideal first present. This book. This book she had never heard of and that sounded way too serious and intellectual for her. She looked at him. He looked at her. They both looked at each other. </p><p>She burst into laughter.</p><p>It was so sudden and so loud and honest that it caught him unawares, his body instinctively leaning backward as her chest uncontrollably jumped up and down. Following her hollow night, she had no more self-control over her own emotions and body and, with Sasuke’s discomfited countenance eliciting even bigger unfiltered waves from her, she let her laugh evaporate in the morning dawn, incapable to stop.</p><p>“I don’t get invited that often” he tried justifying himself, unable to interpret her laughter in one way or another.</p><p>She really had to stop. She was making a clown of herself and turning this entire situation, already weird enough as it was, into an even more embarrassing moment for the both of them, but she just physically couldn’t stop. Laughing just felt so nice and liberating.</p><p>She wasn’t even laughing at him, nor at his gift for all that mattered, no. Sometimes, it just felt good to be laughing for no reason. She hadn’t truly laughed in such a manner in while, but she had never really been one to laugh in the first place, anyway: not polite, not ladylike. Not something she should be doing in front of people she wanted to be respected from. </p><p>She didn’t really care about Sasuke Uchiha’s opinion of her.</p><p>Drying up her tears, she did her best effort to tame her breathing, but it still took her a couple more minutes to regain full control over her body. “How come?” She queried, genuinely dumbstruck by his statement, a hint of her fading gleefulness still discernible. “You were best friends with Naruto and Sakura back in high school.”</p><p>“I’m not exactly the popular type.” <em>Hum</em>. In her eyes, maybe, but in her memory, he was always surrounded by armies of fangirls back in the day: apparently, emo vibes were very appealing to some people. “Was Sakura there?”</p><p>Was he the one Sakura had been texting all night long?</p><p>“Hmm” she answered, evasive. The exact nature of their relationship escaped her full understanding and, not knowing what Sakura would have liked him to be aware of or not, she did not want to give him too much information, just in case.</p><p>“Did she have a good time?”</p><p>Hinata found his concern unexpectedly sweet. </p><p>“Hmm-hmm.”  Could he like her? He had to care about her, although that wasn’t coming off as a surprise since Naruto and she may have been some of his rare friends, and although she knew the pediatrician had been hopelessly infatuated with him since the youngest age, Hinata had such poor skills when it came to interpret signals for herself than trying to meddle in her friend’s love life seemed like a perilous and bad idea. “If you had shown up earlier, you could have asked her about it yourself” she therefore commented, and Sasuke dismissed the idea with a disdainful snort. Was Sakura a sore spot?</p><p>“Was the party what you had wished for?” He hurried to inquire about, effectively closing the Sakura chapter. Understanding that he wouldn’t say another word on the matter, Hinata graciously followed his lead and showed him the tiny book he had gotten her.</p><p>“Everything and more” she conceded slyly. “I even got a book about “Capitalism”, and “Desire”, and “Servitude”, so…</p><p>And this time, as she poorly repressed a new chuckle, Sasuke Uchiha’s thin lips briefly stretched into the ghost of a smile.</p><p> </p><p>Her cup of tea and a few silence later, once they had wished each other well in front of the hotel and that Hinata was finally seated at the back of her chauffeured car, on her way to her shift, the small woman curled up again the door, her head resting against the warmed-up glass, and sighed in relief. All the craziness of last night was now behind her. In two weeks, she would leave for the first stage of the competition and in a couple of months, Hanabi’s internship and her residency would end, allowing the girls to go back to Iwa and the comforting intimacy of their boring, predictive lives. She would see her colleagues again, her Chef, her kitchen, and her existence would go back to normal, with her only visiting her Konoha friends from time to time and Naruto but a distant memory. All she had to do was hide on the sixth floor and never think of him again. Yes, that was a good plan. </p><p>Never think of him again. Good.</p><p>Never think of him...</p><p>The car’s imperceptible purring starting to lull her into a dreamlike-state, Hinata closed her eyes and a flash of blond hair and sun-kissed skin appeared before her eyelids. For the first time, she was glad that the car had a glass separation between the front and the back. </p><p>Perhaps “never” was a tad too strong...</p><p>Where were we again, before last time’s untimely interruption? She smiled in delight. Ah, yes, <em>his tongue traveling down the dawning vale of her breast…</em></p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>You made it til the end, hooray ✨</p><p>This is the longest chapter so far, too bad it was so poorly written xD I'm a really bad person...</p><p>Have you guys ever tried European chocolate? Although the Swiss one is renowned as the best one in the world, my favorites are actually the Belgian and the French one, and if you like yours more bitter, with bolder combinations, try South American chocolates! Sadly, I don't like the others... And as a child and a teen, chocolate was one of the things I missed the most while living abroad! I bet nowadays you can at least find Milka about everywhere (or is it like with Nutella and it's tasting different from one country to the other?) </p><p>The dessert Hinata and Toneri are making are special tartlets that I make only once a year for the New Years's Eve party that my siblings and I are traditionally hosting: because I'm the pickiest eater of all times, I don't like them but they are quite popular. Should I post all my chocolate desserts recipes at the end of this story? 😂 I wonder...</p><p>Anyway, a huge <b>thank you</b> to every single one of you for reading this and leaving me kudos and such <i>sweet and loving</i> comments, you guys are the best 😍 And a big shoutout to ChloeLaPomme who harassed me to publish this <i>and</i> who nicely beta read some parts of it to tell me if it was comprehensible or not 💜</p><p>Hope this chapter will bring you some comfort in this dark day for the Boruto fandom, and see you next time with Naruto!</p>
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